Notes: Ukraine - Economy

UKRAINE ------------------------------- No Gold Gold reserves since govt overthrow have dwindled to almost zero. http://on.rt.com/cniueq ------------------------------- Russia Supports UKR Economy Link: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30278606 Russia supports UKR industry. But UKR trade to EU = raw materials & agricultural  products (subject to heavy EU quotas & tariffs). 2014 predicted fall in GDP @ 7% - if this decline continues, the Ukrainian state will face collapse. [BBC]  Western media & policy worlds have ignored or misrepresented key aspects of the Ukrainian-Russian economic relationship. [BBC] Ukraine Cheap Russian gas & lenient payment terms = Russia has been subsidising UKR economy @ BILLIONS yearly. [BBC] Russia subsidy of Ukraine economy = many times total of Western aid during this period. [BBC] 1) By ignoring Russia's subsidy of UKR economy in the billions, pundits & media avoided addressing ... 2) ... if Western countries would pay billions to take UKR into Western sphere of influence. [BBC] Russia supports UKR manufacturing sector & remains Ukraine's largest partner. Trade 2013 exceeding that with WHOLE of EU. [BBC] Ukraine Over 3 million UKR working in Russia & sending money to home to family - a vital contribution to economies of several UKR regions. All over the EU, right-wing parties are gathering strength - developments are driven above all by hostility to immigration. [BBC] In such case, the West is hardly in a position to integrate Ukraine's workforce & economy into the EU economy. ------------------------------- Uranium & Coal Australia's Tony Abbott's doing deals with fascist US puppet govt. - Uranium & coal. UKRAINE's Western 'support' always comes down to this: Western corporations making money. ------------------------------- Leaked Proposed Ukraine Budget: UKRAINE no more free food for children in school or for patients in hospitals [sovereignman] UKRAINE healthcare will no longer be completely state-funded [sovereignman] UKRAINE  government is also proposing to drastically reduce pension benefits [sovereignman] UKRAINE  Women will have to work 10 more years in order to qualify for a pension [sovereignman] UKRAINE  Men will have to work an additional 5 more years in order to qualify for a pension [sovereignman] UKRAINE proposed FREEZE pension benefits (ie. no longer adjusting them to the rampant inflation) [sovereignman]. UKRAINE  stripping other public services; they’ve proposed slashing the number of judges, prosecutors &  police [sovereignman] UKRAINE  proposed reducing the number of members of parliament from 450 to 150 [sovereignman] http://www.sovereignman.com/trends/leaked-document-ukraines-government-to-eliminate-everything-15717/ Ukraine IMF disbursements program buys UKR limited time. Significant risks of UKR defaulting. Poor outlook. [StreetInsider] COMMENT Above are just some notes on the Ukraine economy. It's just what grabbed my interest at the time, rather than a complete overview.