You're reading: In Davos, Poroshenko presents Ukraine as nation making right moves

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 21 said that Russian aggression is the main obstacle to the nation's progress.

Poroshenko didn’t complain publicly about the level of political, economic or defense support for Ukraine, although he alluded to important talks for more loans with the International Monetary Fund. He said he expected a new agreement to be announced on Jan. 29. 

Despite an invitation to criticize the Western level of support, Poroshenko said he was satisfied with the international commitments coming together to help Ukraine – which, according to various experts, needs at least $32 billion in loans in the next two years. However, Reuters reported that an unnamed Ukrainian official in a private meeting complained about the lack of help fromt he West.

“What do we need to stop the aggressor? Unity and solidarity,” Poroshenko told the audience, in a speech livestreamed on the Internet. He asked the West and “civilized world” for continued sanctions against the Kremlin so that Russia changes course, drops the war and adopts the Minsk agreements which call for a cease-fire, withdrawal of troops and closing of the  Ukraine-Russia border.

“We are fighting for peace.  I am a president of peace. I am strongly believing there is not a military solution for this problem,” Poroshenko said. “We need strongly coodinated action to bring peace to my country and the world.”

Poroshenko presented Ukraine as “fighting for European security, European values.” He said that Ukraine has not undertaken offensive military actions since the Minsk accords — only defensive ones in response to advances by Russian troops and the “terrorists” they are backing in the eastern Donbas oblasts of Luhansk and Donetsk.

Poroshenko noted that four foreign ministers — from Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany — will be meeting in Berlin on Jan. 21 to try to reach peace.

“Our approach is very simple. We have nothing to negotiate,”  Poroshenko said. “Everything is fixed and signed (by the Minsk agreements). Wwe need an immediate cease-fire and the withdrawal of heavy artillery and tanks fromt he touchline.”

He said that, as a new president with a new parliament, “we want to build up an absolutely new country with no corruption. We created an anti-corruption bureau. We’re building up an independent system of courts and rule of law.”

He said Ukraine is reducing bureaucracy and cutting public sector spending, making the nation more investment-friendly and cut gas consumption from 70 billion cubic meters a year — most of it from Russia — to 44 billion cubic meters last year. He said Ukraine is on the road to energy independence form Russia.

He said more English-language speakers are taking up the top ranks of government. He said that only one person in the Ukrainian delegation to Davos this year doesn’t speak English. Last year, by contrast, he said that only one person in the delegation spoke English. 

“This is very symbolic at we are ready to change the country,” Poroshenko said.

Kyiv Post chief editor Brian Bonner can be reached at [email protected]