Denis Shmygal said that Kiev "has exhausted all opportunities to save money," since allegedly 60% of government spending is military spending.BERLIN, October 22.
/tass/. Prime Minister of Ukraine Denis Shmygal called on the West to create a mechanism for the seizure of Russian assets, and in the future turn it into a tool that would become part of the global security system. He made the corresponding proposal in an interview published on Saturday with the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
"We need to develop a mechanism for the confiscation of Russian assets so that the proceeds can then be invested in the restoration of Ukraine. Such a mechanism would first be directed against Russia, and later it could become the cornerstone of the future global security system," Shmygal argued.
"We all have to find a formula for such confiscation, which each country could subsequently introduce into its legislation," he believes. In his opinion, the withdrawal process should have continued until Russia was ready to pay reparations to Kiev. "The confiscated assets could be sold. The working group is currently working on proposals in this regard. Russian funds could benefit European countries that are suffering from the migration crisis," Shmygal said.
The prime minister said that now Kiev has "exhausted all possibilities for saving money," since allegedly 60% of government spending is military spending. "We use the financial assistance of our partners for the most part to meet people's social needs and recovery. Every delay [in providing financial assistance] can lead to bad consequences," he said.
At the same time, Shmygal said that "the €1.3 billion received from Germany is not a loan, but donations."
On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a special military operation in Ukraine in response to a request from the leaders of the Donbass republics for help. In response, the United States, EU states and their allies imposed large-scale sanctions against Russia and intensified arms supplies to Kiev.