Posted by Petro on March 15, 2000 at 11:00:37:
In Reply to: Russia posted by Raisa on March 14, 2000 at 23:00:23:
If Ukraine is to pay its debts and not be like a begger, Russia should also behave as a fair trading partner, and not constantly raise the prices of gas and other goods, and not demand world prices from Ukraine for such "commodities," especially as it expects lower prices than world standards for Ukrainian goods. Furthermore the Ukrainian government could tax heavily the Russian fleet in Crimea, in an attempt to partially equalize the debt. And also: as for evidence of the uncooperative nature of Russian policy in relation to Ukraine, I give as an example, Russia's recent proposal to buy profit-making companies that are components of Ukraine's energy infrastructure--a very uncooperative proposal. What nation on earth would sell off its energy infrastructure to a foreign nation, especially one that is the traditional chauvanistic bully of its region? Mexico has serious debts to the US government, but at least American imperialism of Latin America hasn't reached the level of arrogance of purchasing elements of Mexico's infrastructure. . .
Ukraine must deal with corruption and move forward with reform, and pay debts indeed; but Russia also needs to learn to be more cooperative with its neighbors, and stop acting like the Big Man on the street who hordes the earth's wealth for the sake of his own profit and that of his elite, while reducig, not only the people of his neighboring countries, but his own people as well, to "Beggers." For Russia, Raisa, is also full of them, and the reason for that is not because Ukraine isn't paying its debts to the Russian Bosses.