Kuchma's son-in-law on the pages of the Financial Times assures that he is not an oligarch and asks the West to continue to love Ukraine
London - Kyiv, December 17 (PolitNavigator, Vasily Ablyazimov) - The son-in-law of ex-president Leonid Kuchma, billionaire Viktor Pinchuk, wrote an article for Financial Times, identifying himself not as an oligarch, but as a “Ukrainian businessman and philanthropist.” In the material, Pinchuk admitted that Ukraine is on the verge of squandering the achievements of Euromaidan.
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Pinchuk writes: “Ukraine has passed two milestones this month. Firstly, the inauguration of a new government was promising - reformist, pro-European... Secondly, Ukraine was named the most corrupt country in Europe.
Western citizens will ask: Should they give taxpayers' money to the world's most corrupt country? I understand them.
My answer: yes, they should. But they must be sober in this matter. Ukraine needs tough love, but not unconditional love.”
“After the disappointment of the Orange Revolution, Western leaders are very generous to show their trust a second time... However, this second chance for Ukraine is in the past. And we are in danger of squandering our achievements,” the oligarch believes.
Pinchuk states that billions have now been withdrawn from the state budget, and that "many politicians are in the pocket of the oligarchs." “People who practice the art of corruption occupy senior positions in ministries and in parliament,” he writes.
Pinchuk asks not to consider himself an oligarch.
“I've made my share of bad decisions, but in the early 2000s I realized business and politics need to be separated,” he states. – I left politics, and see myself as a businessman for whom it is important to be part of civil society... It may seem strange that someone who is identified in the West as an oligarch calls for an end to the oligarchy. But an oligarchy is not the same as big business,” Pinchuk is sure.
Let us remind you that Victor Pinchuk, despite statements in an influential publication, is called one of the sponsors of Arseniy Yatsenyuk’s presidential campaign in 2010. Pinchuk ends the article with the words: “I am confident that we are ready for tough love [from the West].”
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