Ukrainian MP mocks IMF chief’s advice on keeping warm
A senior Ukrainian lawmaker has responded to advice from one of Kiev’s main creditors, arguing that “roaring like a lion” doesn’t help with keeping warm in a freezing parliament.
The comment was a response to IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, who said on Tuesday on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos that phasing out electricity and heating subsidies remains a key condition for Kiev to receive additional funding. She told Ukrainians: “you have to believe in yourself, as a lion. So, get up in the morning and go ‘roaaarr.’”
The Ukrainian capital is in the midst of a severe electricity crisis and widespread heating outages, which have also affected the parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, as freezing temperatures grip Kiev.
MP Daniil Getmantsev, who is the chairman of the parliamentary tax committee, took to social media on Wednesday to report on conditions in the parliament: “There is water. There is no heat. I tried ‘roaring like a lion.’ It didn’t help much.”
The Washington-based institution has disbursed just under $10 billion to Ukraine under a $15.5 billion loan program which ends next year. In November, the IMF and Kiev reached an agreement on a new $8.1 billion package. At the time, the government pledged to tackle corruption, tighten fiscal discipline, and push ahead with politically sensitive reforms, including cutting energy subsidies.
During last week’s meeting with Georgieva in Kiev, Vladimir Zelensky highlighted the harsh winter weather and power outages, while thanking her for support. The chair of the parliamentary Budget Committee, Roksolana Pidlasa, later called some IMF requirements “contentious.”
Former MP Igor Markov told Russian media on Tuesday that the IMF’s demand would make Ukrainian cities unliveable, forcing people into the countryside.
Ukraine is ranked among Europe’s poorest countries, and subsidies for electricity, heating, and gas have long sustained households.
Power outages in Kiev follow waves of Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Moscow has said it targeted drone production facilities, energy infrastructure, and other military related sites in response to Ukrainian strikes on Russian power facilities and indiscriminate attacks on civilians.
