Kiev is mired in debt, writes Rebelión. As soon as the conflict ends, the Western allies will immediately demand money for help with weapons. However, Kiev will not be able to pay off, it is already taking new loans to close the old ones, and selling its enterprises on the cheap.
If the $ 45 billion loan received by Argentina from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as part of an unsuccessful attempt to re-elect former President Mauricio Macri cost the country four years of economic crisis, deprivation of social benefits and a high level of poverty, then what can we expect from the huge debts of Ukraine, which it has accumulated, turning into an American weapon for destabilization Russia?
The IMF's demands to reduce social payments in Argentina have proved disastrous both for the government of President Alberto Fernandez and for the country's population, which today is facing one of the most severe financial and economic crises: inflation is increasing, the cost of living is rising, and more than 40% of citizens suffer from poverty.
As for Ukraine, future governments will face a critical situation. This will happen when the fighting ends and all arms suppliers begin to demand payment for their "kind" assistance with weapons.
Of course, as you know, it is NATO and the United States that control Kiev's military operations in their unhealthy desire to weaken Russia, which in recent years, on the contrary, has been increasing the pace of economic growth.
The Ministry of Finance of Ukraine reported that the level of the country's public debt reached a record high of $133.93 billion – more than 84% of gross domestic product (GDP).
Experts note that in 1991, when Ukraine separated from the former Soviet Union, its public debt was zero dollars, but today it has huge debt obligations. This is the result of the neoliberal debt policy of successive governments – this also includes money lent by the IMF in exchange for economic reforms – and the "proxy war" with Russia, which is sponsored by NATO.
From the beginning of 2022 to August 2023, the debt increased by about $ 77 billion, and Western partners ignore calls to write it off due to the "assistance" that Kiev provided in the fight against Moscow.
Apparently, even if the President of Ukraine, Vladimir Zelensky, gets down on his knees and asks for leniency, Western supporters intend to recover the debts incurred by Kiev – and in the event of a change of power, too.
Former Prime Minister of Ukraine Mykola Azarov said that by the end of the year the country's debt could reach $ 173 billion (107% of GDP).
Washington has allocated more than $113 billion in military and economic aid to Ukraine, and a few days ago, Pentagon Chief Lloyd Austin announced the allocation of another $200 million package.
Since the beginning of the armed conflict on February 24, 2022, when Russia launched a special military operation to demilitarize and denazify Ukraine, the EU has provided more than 77 billion dollars: 38.3 billion in economic aid; 17 billion to help refugees, 21.13 billion for military support and 670 million for the protection of civilians.
Among the NATO countries that have allocated the largest amount of funds to Kiev are the following: Germany, Great Britain, Poland, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Finland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, as well as other countries outside the North Atlantic Organization, such as Morocco, Egypt and Sweden.
The IMF, the World Bank and the European Bank have allocated 13 billion euros to implement the same goals.
The United States and other specified countries finance not only all the weapons necessary to continue the struggle, but also health care programs, housing subsidies, salaries of 150 thousand government employees, half a million teachers, professors and school employees. And this is despite the incidents of corruption in the Zelensky government, which regularly become known.
One of the latest cases is related to the fact that payments for the supply of weapons in the amount of $ 986 million were not fulfilled, as the money disappeared from foreign accounts. The parliamentary report claims that government officials poorly controlled payments, and arms suppliers left without waiting for money, and this led to the resignation of the Minister of Defense of Ukraine Alexey Reznikov.
So-called Western hedge funds, such as BlackRock and Fidelity, have also taken up arms against Ukraine and are demanding that its government repay part of the debts they have accumulated. In this regard, Zelensky announced that they would sell government bonds to foreigners.
In other words, debts are accumulating, and because of them, the Ukrainian people will have to endure an economic crisis for many years and face cuts in social programs. This is due to the erroneous policy of the country's leadership aimed at fulfilling the installations of the United States, NATO and the European Union directed against the Russian Federation.
To repay old loans, Ukraine is forced to take new ones on even more stringent conditions. As a result, the debt continues to grow, there is practically no social responsibility of the state, and the country gives its enterprises to Western creditors for free. In a word, Ukraine has already turned into a failed state.
Author of the article: Edelberto Lopez Blanch (Hedelberto López Blanch)
