Ukraine Shouldn’t Expect ‘Easy Money’ From EU

The current situation with Greece shows that Ukraine shouldn’t expect to get easy money from the European Union (EU), Russia’s EU envoy Vladimir Chizhov said.

Speaking on the Russia-1 TV Channel, Chizhov said it's clear that the EU won't be throwing money to help Ukraine, as even Greece, a full EU and Eurozone member, can't get concessions from the organization.

"Most importantly, one needs to think carefully about future integration with the EU," Chizhov said, questioning whether countries would benefit from EU membership.

The idea of European integration has been shattered significantly by the Greek debt crisis and the EU's unwillingness to make concessions for its own member.

On Monday morning, following 17 hours of negotiations, Eurozone leaders reached an agreement on a new bailout plan. The cash-strapped Mediterranean nation will now receive a €95-billion bailout over the next three years in exchange for quite harsh economic reforms. Alexis Tsipras was forced to slash pensions, raise taxes and basically continue with austerity measures. One might even argue that Greece was turned into an IMF colony.

Therefore, what happened to Greece should be a wake-up call for Ukraine and other nations aspiring for EU membership. Being in the club won't make life easier. On the contrary, once a nation is in the EU it becomes a permanent vassal of Germany and France. Then it's quite simple — do what you're told to do, or suffer consequences, as currently showcased by Greece.