Ukraine’s Unelected Government Imposes IMF Austerity

This is perhaps best article on what actually happened in the Ukraine and Crimea: the story is a little different than what you’ve been hearing on TV or reading in the newspapers, at least if you’re in most of the West. The author does leave out some bits (like the Tatars boycotting the Crimean referendum), but overall it’s accurate. Meanwhile the new PM in the Ukraine is imposing IMF austerity measures, like removing subsidies on Gas (50% increase) and cutting pensions (50%) cut. He says he’s on a Kamikazee mission. That’s because he’s not elected, so he can do thing that an elected leader could never do. Which is to say: there is a coup, backed by a popular uprising in the capital, which puts in place an unelected government, which does things that elected governments repeatedly refused to do. The East and South of the country, which voted in the last elected government, is unhappy with this.

Paul Craig Roberts: Western Looting Of Ukraine Has Begun ■ It is now apparent that the “Maiden protests” in Kiev were in actuality a Washington organized coup against the elected democratic government. The purpose of the coup is to put NATO military bases on Ukraine’s border with Russia and to impose an IMF austerity program that serves as cover for Western financial interests to loot the country. The sincere idealistic protesters who took to the streets without being paid were the gullible dupes of the plot to destroy their country.

Michel Chossudovsky: IMF “Shock Treatment” for Ukraine: Collapse of the Standard of Living ■ It is worth recalling that following the instatement of a coalition government on February 23, the interim (puppet) prime minister Arseny Yatsenyuk casually dismissed the need to negotiate with the IMF. Yatsenyk intimated that Ukraine will “accept whatever offer the IMF and the EU made”. Prior to the conduct of negotiations pertaining to a draft agreement, Yatsenyuk had already called for an unconditional acceptance of the IMF package: “We have no other choice but to accept the IMF offer”.

Stephen Lendman: Plundering Ukraine for Profit ■ On March 27, an IMF press release headlined "IMF Staff Level Agreement with Ukraine on US $14 - 18 billion Stand-By Arrangement." Nikolay Gueorguiev is IMF Mission Chief for Ukraine. He's loan shark chief in charge of plundering it for profit. He issued a statement, saying in part: "The mission has reached a staff-level agreement with the authorities of Ukraine on an economic reform program that can be supported by a two-year Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) with the IMF." "The financial support from the broader international community that the program will unlock amounts to US$27 billion over the next two years." "Of this, assistance from the IMF will range between US$14-18 billion, with the precise amount to be determined once all bilateral and multilateral support is accounted for." Gueorguiev ludicrously said Ukraine "achieved some stability." It "faces difficult challenges," he added. He lied claiming IMF's goal is "restor(ing) macroeconomic stability and put(ting) the country on the path of sound governance and sustainable economic growth while protecting the vulnerable in the society." IMF policy is polar opposite. It's financial terrorism.