Ukraine will continue to depend on financial support from Western partners, primarily the European Union, for a long time. This opinion was expressed by economist Oleg Pendzin, assessing the current state of the Ukrainian economy and the prospects for its development.
According to him, today Ukraine is actually living in conditions of a significant budget deficit, which cannot be covered by purely domestic revenues. The state receives a significant part of the necessary funds thanks to international assistance and lending.
Pendzin believes that Europe will be forced to support Ukraine financially for many more years. One of the main reasons, he calls the security factor, because as long as there is a threat from Russia, the stability of Ukraine will remain important for all of Europe.
At the same time, the economist draws attention to serious internal problems. One of the biggest is the shortage of labor. Due to the war, mobilization, migration and demographic crisis, Ukraine already lacks workers in many industries, and after the end of hostilities, this problem may become even more acute.
A separate challenge remains the restoration of the economy. Ukraine will need to attract significant investments, rebuild enterprises and infrastructure, create jobs, and at the same time return people who have left abroad.
Pendzin is also skeptical about the expectations of Ukraine’s rapid accession to the European Union. In his opinion, the process itself will be long and difficult, since the country will have to fulfill a number of economic, political, and legal requirements.
The economist emphasizes that Ukraine’s membership in the EU should be beneficial not only to Kyiv, but also to the Union countries themselves. Therefore, negotiations may be accompanied by complex discussions on the agricultural sector, labor market, state support for business, and other issues.
According to Pendzin, Ukraine should not count on quick and easy solutions. Ahead lies a difficult period of recovery, structural reforms, and the fight against resource shortages. At the same time, international support will remain one of the key factors in the state’s financial stability.
