Russia FM: Ukraine to face hard times after approaching EU

The Association Agreement with the EU will worsen conditions of bilateral trade between Ukraine and the Customs Union member states - Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan. This is stated in a commentary by Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich.

According to him, recently online published draft EU-Ukraine agreement makes it clear why the long-term work on this document has been kept secret from the Ukrainian and international public.

"Even a superficial analysis of it shows that it does not contain any real benefits for Ukraine and leads to the de-industrialization of the Ukrainian economy, making it, in fact, only the market for goods from the EU," Lukashevich said.

He noted that for economists, specializing in the field of international trade, it is clear that in the short and medium term, the population of Ukraine are to face the extremely hard times: they'll have even tighter "tighten their belts" to live in a rapidly rising unemployment, deterioration of trade and balance of payments.

According to independent experts, the economic effect of the implementation of the agreement will be negative until 2020, and the "manna from heaven" in the form of investment, technologies, etc., which is long-term promised to Kyiv by the European Union, is not guaranteed with specific obligations, Lukashevich added.

"The agreement clearly shows that its entry into force of the agreement will objectively lead to a significant deterioration of the terms of bilateral trade between Ukraine and the Customs Union member states. The Agreement on the CIS free trade area won’t help as the CU countries, according to experts, will be forced to use Appendix 6 to this agreement in order to prevent the influx of Ukrainian products displaced by European imports," he said.

The representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry is sure it will be done in accordance with the rules of the World Trade Organization.

"We do not impose decisions on Ukraine. The leadership and Ukrainian people have to make them on their own. We are guided by the statements of the President of Ukraine and the Government's desire to maintain and develop privileged, mutually beneficial economic ties with the Customs Union, to strengthen industrial cooperation with them, do not lose your share in our market. However, the terms of the Association Agreement and free trade area with the EU (in the form which it was published in) do not allow it not because of "ill will of Moscow", but because of the very terms of the agreement," he said.

Lukashevich urged the EU not to give emotional, but objective, economically feasible assessments of scenario of socio-economic development of Ukraine after the signing of the Association Agreement.