JRL NEWSWATCH: “Ukraine’s moment of truth” – Kyiv Post/ Kurt Volker
“… As the novel coronavirus increasingly impacts the country, the Verkhovna Rada must finally pass the banking legislation necessary to free up $8 billion in International Monetary Fund lending, and a further $1.5 billion from other sources. … Achieving peace and restoring Ukrainian sovereignty in eastern Ukraine and Crimea will never come as the result of a military victory. Peace will come when Russia concludes that the costs of its aggression will never be worth the gains. The stronger Ukraine becomes, the sooner that day will arrive. … [G]etting the IMF package in place will set the tone …. Land reform and banking legislation are … steps in the long journey President Zelenskyy promised …. Ukraine still needs an independent, qualified judiciary; a qualified and impartial Prosecutor General’s office and State Bureau of Investigations; anti-trust legislation and enforcement mechanisms to regulate the role of oligarchs; and an opening up of economic sectors to competition and foreign investment. A Ukraine that is open to the world and strengthening the rule of law can enjoy accelerating economic growth. But a Ukraine that continues to suffer from perceptions of a biased judiciary and protection for certain oligarchs will never unleash its full potential.”