The economy of Ukraine is the flip side of Japan. Japan has to import everything, but they make value-added products and do very well. If ever there was a country that had a right to just moan and say, "Life is unfair." it is Japan. On the other hand, Ukraine is fairly rich in natural resources (especially much excellent farmland) and they do have industry,*but the management makes them one of the poorest countries in Europe. In fact, people run benefits to help support their army! Former Prime Minister and current Presidential candidate Yulia Tymoshenko said she will donate her campaign money to the Ukrainian military! That is how sick the country is.
Before one gets too excited about Tymoshenko, her "not-so-pretty" past is hardly encouraging though, for all I know, she may have changed. "...she apologized to the crowd in Kiev last night for the unspecified mistakes of the past and talked about turning a page." ** She became wealthy in the natural gas business*** seemingly though sweetheart deals with the then President Lazarenko who was subsequently indicted, convicted, and jailed in the U.S. for money laundering among other crimes:
“Lazarenko received money from companies owned or controlled by Ukrainian [sic] business woman Yulia Tymoshenko … in exchange for which Lazarenko exercised his official authority in favor of Tymoshenko’s companies, and … Lazarenko failed to disclose to the people and government of Ukraine that he was receiving significant amounts of money from these companies.”**
Though the numerous criminal cases against Tymoshenko are complex, they appear to be political in nature and are given little credence.
* http://stopcontinentaldrift.blogspot.com/2014/03/not-again.html
** http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/02/23/yulia-tymoshenko-she-s-no-angel.html
*** Tymoshenko's company was United Energy Systems of Ukraine
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