Lutsenko: `Third alternative: falling on our knees before Moscow`

Many deputies engage in populism which threatens the future existence of the Ukrainian state. That's what Yuriy Lutsenko, the head of the Petro Poroshenko Block, said in an interview with the Voice of Ukraine published on July 29.

"If we don't pursue reforms, our economy won't restart. We can't continue living on credit. If our economy doesn't restart, we'll have only the third alternative--to fall on our knees before Moscow. This realization will set in. For everyone. The main thing is that it doesn't come too late," said Lutsenko.

In order to avert that outcome, Lutsenko called for creating jobs and incomes, transitioning from credits to investments and so forth. However, he noted that not all the deputies are being constructive.

"Coalition has caught the Greek populism bug, with empty heads generating empty words which won't fill empty coffers," Lutsenko commented the vote on the law to restructure foreign currency credits.

He believes that the deputies engage in populism when voting for many laws, showing their preference "to be politicians again, not statesmen," and demonstrating their "irresponsiblity toward the country in general and people in particular."

J.Hawk's Comment: This article is based on a longer interview Lutsenko indeed gave but which doesn't warrant translating in its entirety. Shariy focused on the main points of the interview.

But even if the reforms are pushed through (and they will--Pyatt wants them passed, and Lutsenko said elsewhere in this interview that if they aren't passed, Ukraine will be "one on one with the aggressor"), will Ukraine's economy recover? That's highly doubtful. For Ukraine to recover it would have to find new trading partners to replace the lost Russian markets, and these partners aren't exactly lining up. Which means that the "third alternative" will soon be the only one remaining.

Incidentally, Lutsenko's interview also tells a lot about Right Sector's continued usefulness to Poroshenko. There are many Rada deputies who don't interpret friendship with Russia as "falling on our knees". But are they ever going to vote that way, given what the Right Sector can do to them??? Ultimately the greatest source of Yarosh's power is Poroshenko's continued need for ideological enforcers.

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