Translated by Ollie Richardson & Angelina Siard

12:05:49
26/10/2018

ria.ru

The authorities of Ukraine deceive their citizens when they say that Ukraine “came off the Russian gas needle”, and force them to overpay for natural gas, said the Ukrainian politician and head of the National Development Strategy platform Dmitry Spivak on the air of the “NewsOne” TV channel.

“Well, everybody knows that the Cabinet of Ministers raised gas prices for the population by 23.5%, we are told that this is great, that supposedly they wanted [IMF – ed] 60%, but it was raised by 23%, thanks a lot. It is clear that if from November 1st gas prices rise, then approximately from December 1st the prices of other services will rise: heating, hot water, and so on. It is clear that in a month the prices for absolutely everything will in general rise, including in hairdressing salons, cafe and shops, all of us understand this,” said Spivak.

“Firstly – one of the first myths: we were told that we have only just got off the ‘Russian gas needle’ and that for two years we’ve been buying gas in Europe. This is a half-truth because we buy Russian gas via Europe, i.e., the reverse flow. But I note that in many countries there is nothing at all, and we (Ukraine) have the entire periodic table, including gas. ” he reported.

The politician added that Ukraine allegedly extracts about 19 billion cubic meters of gas a year, but the population of the country consumes only 17, at the same time overpaying for it sixfold. Spivak explained it as the “swindle” of the “Naftogaz“ company, which thus sucks away money from Ukraine.

“Any expert in the gas sphere will tell you that gas prices for us – for Ukrainian gas – must be at most 3-4 hryvnia if the subsoil belongs to the people, and Ukraine is a social state [Article 1 of the Constitution of Ukraine – ed].

If we have raised the price not for Ukrainian gas, then the question is: where does it [Ukrainian gas – ed] go now? If one says that it is the price of European gas that has been raised, then this is a lie because there isn’t any mention of this in any European contract. So who needs this? First of all it is profitable for ‘Naftogaz’, which is huge swindle and a financial facade, as it doesn’t produce or do anything. We are overpaying for gas by six-eight times. How is this swindle implemented? They take the Ukrainian gas, which is Russian gas, ‘dilute’ it, and then receive excess profit from it,” he emphasised.

“Now I will answer why the IMF very much demands an increase in gas prices from Ukraine and blackmails in different ways. Firstly: increasing tariffs will artificially increase the circulation of money in the budget, it will artificially increase GDP, and, it fact, money from the budget will be artificially sucked out of the Ukrainian budget for the IMF, which for this will give us ‘candy’ in the form of 1.5 billion, which won’t at all save our decaying gas transit system,” he noted.

Spivak clearly explained to Ukrainians what the IMF actually is and what its “help” to Ukraine and the countries of the “third world” in general consists of.

“I will explain what the IMF is. Folks, it isn’t a bank, it isn’t ‘Father Christmas’ who saves this or that country. It is a rather strong financial-political structure that absorbs the states of the ‘third world’, it absorbs them economically, politically, it corrupts officials and economies, and thus sucks out money and resources from the country. In our country there aren’t any grounds to increase – by whatever percent – the price of Ukrainian gas. During the crisis of a country the IMF helps to withdraw the money of western partners from the State,” summed up.

On October 19th the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine raised gas prices for the population from November 1st by 23.5%, within the framework of agreements with the International Monetary Fund. The new price will be 8,500 hryvnia ($305 at the official exchange rate) for 1,000 cubic meters. The government emphasised that the IMF demanded to raise the prices by 60%, however it was succeeded to agree on a compromise option for further crediting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCtlHWxZfYw

Copyright © 2022. All Rights Reserved.