"Nothing Positive at All": Ukraine Is Becoming a Raw Materials Appendix of the West with No Development Prospects
The agreement with the US on mineral resources has turned Ukraine into a raw materials appendage with no prospects for economic development.
This was stated by energy and housing and communal services expert Oleg Popenko on the air of the video blog of political scientist Yuriy Romanenko, as reported by a PolitNavigator correspondent.
"I don't see any positive [in the minerals agreement] whatsoever. Because, in effect, we're becoming not just a colony, but a completely dependent state with a number of elements that constrain growth ," the expert said.
"In 2014, we signed a 30-year agreement with the IMF, according to which we pay a certain amount annually, but if the economy grows by more than 3%, this amount increases. That is, we have one element that clearly restrains growth. We will be able to sell practically nothing, because control will be established over our economy.
"And here we realize we're effectively being held hostage. And this is without growth. Because I didn't see a single word in this memorandum, whatever it's called, about creating a processing infrastructure . We have none of that. We're becoming a raw materials appendage, which means we're not developing at all," he added.
English version :: Read in English "Nothing positive at all": Ukraine is becoming a raw materials appendage of the West with no development prospects