Zelensky and Goncharuk met with Kolomoisky 10 Sep
Photo: OFS President / Telegram
A compromise between the Ukrainian authorities and the businessman Igor Kolomoisky could lead to the loss of the President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky support in the country and in the West. This opinion, on 19 September expressed on Twitter, a former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, expert of the analytical center of the Brookings Institution Steven Pifer.
“For the first few months in office Zelensky has earned significant political capital in Ukraine, and among friends of Kiev in the West, including the international monetary Fund. It needs careful Kolomoisky (e.g., no compromise on the “PrivatBank”), so as not to lose much of this political capital,” – said Pifer.
In first months in office, @ZelenskyyUa has built considerable political capital in #Ukraine and with Kyiv’s friends in the West, including the IMF. He needs to deal carefully with Kolomoisky (e.g. no “compromise” on Privatbank), lest he blow much of that capital. https://t.co/LObv0Fq5B0
— Steven Pifer (@steven_pifer) September 19, 2019
Kolomoisky said that after the election of the President of Ukraine hopes to receive compensation in connection with the nationalization of “PrivatBank” “in one form or another”. According to the businessman, he’s not going to return the Bank property, but would like to return the “$2 billion of capital.”
10 Sep Zelensky met with Kolomoisky.
On September 17 the British business newspaper Financial Times wrote that the Ukrainian authorities are “looking for compromise” with about Kolomoisky “PrivatBank”. Prime Minister of Ukraine Alexey Goncharuk told the newspaper that any decision on the “PrivatBank” Ukraine should align with the IMF. According to him, “we need to focus on growth and to look for joint solutions, and not waste resources on destroying each other”
After the article in the press-service of the government, citing Goncharuk, said that the Cabinet is carefully studying the situation around the “PrivatBank”, but no negotiations with anybody does not conduct.