Columbia International Affairs Online: Policy Briefs

CIAO DATE: 02/2015

An Economic Strategy to Save Ukraine

Anders Aslund

November 2014

Peterson Institute for International Economics

Abstract

Ukraine has experienced a year of unprecedented political, economic, and military turmoil. The combination of Russian military aggression in the east and a legacy of destructive policies leading to pervasive corruption has plunged the country into an existential crisis. The West, meanwhile, has been largely paralyzed with uncertainty over how to assist Ukraine without reviving Cold War hostilities. Yet all is not lost for Ukraine. The successful elections of President Petro Poroshenko in May and a new parliament in October offer an opportunity for economic reform, despite the continuing military threat. The window of opportunity is likely to be brief, however. The new government will have to act fast and hard on many fronts to succeed. Åslund lays out the strategy.