The 2009 Ukrainian-Russian gas accords and the 2010 Kharkiv accords go against Ukraine's national interests, says former Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko.
"It is obvious that these proceedings were political from the first day. But the gas accords signed by Tymoshenko are the worst tragedy for the country’s development. I said in court that the authorities should first of all focus their efforts on annulling the Moscow accords, as they do not meet national interests. This is how I saw the court’s mission. It is difficult for me to comment on why the authorities did not appeal to an international court. The Kharkiv accords are the second mistake. We have lost a card that could become a trump," Yuschenko said in an interview with weekly.ua.
Tymoshenko is currently in a condition that "easily arouses people’s sympathy," Yuschenko said. "Who benefited from the court ruling on Tymoshenko’s case? I am sure society didn’t," he said.
Tymoshenko’s trial for the gas accords with Russia has thrown Ukraine far back on its way to Europe, as did the murder of journalist Georgy Gongadze, Yuschenko said.
Yuschenko was also asked to forecast the exchange rate of the national currency, the hryvnia, by the end of the year. "The situation depends on many factors. Will Ukraine cope with the shadow economy? How will cooperation with the IMF proceed? Here’s what causes pessimism. When were we stable? When foreign investments amounted to $13 billion a year. And now we have only $6 billion, and therefore there are some questions. Until our investors direct their resources to the economy, there can be no long-term guarantees of the national currency’s stability," he said.
Asked whether the hryvnia could collapse, Yuschenko said the National Bank of Ukraine’s tools are "appropriate to the challenges" and that it is pursuing quite a tough monetary policy, but, in order to avoid a negative scenario and fully keep the situation under control, problems need to be analyzed more thoroughly.
