'Clean Up Your Act': Western Politicians Fed Up With Ukraine's Chaos

Pro-Ukrainian leaders in the West are getting tired of the never-ending political and economic chaos in Ukraine, and the International Monetary Fund has threatened to freeze another tranche of the $17.5 billion assistance package it promised last March in exchange for government reforms, Sweden’s Svenska Dagbladet newspaper wrote on Monday.

“Without a real clampdown on corruption, which exists at various levels of public life, the European Union’s trust in Ukrainian reforms may soon run dry,” the newspaper warned.

Last week President Petro Poroshenko demanded a complete “reset” of the government in already the second such attempt since the 2014 Maidan “revolution.”

After Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk refused to step down Poroshenko called for a parliamentary vote of no-confidence in the Cabinet.

In a vote on Tuesday the Verhovna Rada failed to pass a resolution of no-confidence in the government. The resolution was supported by 194 lawmakers with the required minimum of 226 votes in favor.

The Yatsenyuk Cabinet survived but political bickering and serious doubts about Ukraine’s future have persisted, Svenska Dagbladet wrote.

Shortly after the vote Yulia Tymoshenko pulled her Fatherland party out of the ruling coalition.

She explained her decision by saying that it made no sense staying in a coalition that was not aimed at implementing much-needed reforms. Another ally, Samopomich, will discuss its future in the government on Thursday.

“The political infighting continues, just like the fundamental problems, which threaten the country’s economic stability,” the newspaper wrote in conclusion.