Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said the nation has to mobilize not only militarily, but also in every other way to combat Russia's war against Ukraine.
“We have to do everything for our defense,” Yatsenyuk said. “For example, to conduct mobilization. But this is not only mobilization of the army, but also a mobilization of the government, of the whole state apparatus for defense of Ukraine and every single citizen.”
Yatsenyuk said that he hopes Ukraine will finish negotiations with international creditors, primarily the International Monetary Fund, on austerity measures required to win as much as $15 billion in new credit “The talks are not easy,” he conceded. “No one will give money for nothing.”
Russia’s war against Ukraine has cost the nation’s economy
“The war in Ukraine takes not only people’s lives but also the life of the economy. We lost 20 percent during one year. At the same time we pay salaries, pensions, social benefits.”
He called for “unity and solidarity” to conduct energy and other reforms, especially in Parliament.
“We have one million temporarily displaced people. We will make changes to the state budget, but we have a lack of money. We pay them now one-time and monthly allowances. Also, I have to remind that we must have accommodations for temporarily displaced,” Yatsenyuk said.
The prime minister also talked about the continuing corruption, despite last year’s revolution that ousted President Viktor Yanukovych.
While Ukraine’s elected leaders have changed, “half of the state apparatus consists of those people who worked before” the EuroMaidan Revolution of 2013-2014 and who “continue to work after,” Yatsenyuk said. “There are many cases of recent bribery, local abuses. Therefore, one the main tasks are changes of managers in local authorities. Even those who came only a year or half ago are already used to live according to the old schemes. The infection spreads fast, Yatsenyuk says.
Even with decentralization of powers to local officials, Yatsenyuk said there must be accountability.
“I appeal to the leaders of the regional state administrations: read carefully the document, what it says and the tools we gave to you. The money given for regional administrations shouldn’t be used for conducting opaque tenders. You are obliged to use them transparently and report about this. Once a week report at the site of the regional state administration on how much and what for the money had been spent in order people could know.”
