Russia claims Ukraine owes money to CIS
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia has declared that Ukraine owes 300 million rubles ($4.87 million USD) to the budget of the bodies of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). This was announced today at a briefing in Moscow by the official spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova.
"For four years, Ukraine has not paid a single penny to the unified budget of the CIS bodies, thus creating significant financial difficulties for the work of the organization. To date, the total amount of money not paid by Ukraine is more than 300 million rubles," Zakharova said.
Zakharova noted that cooperation within the CIS is mutually beneficial, and all partners are interested in Ukraine not losing ties with the unified association.
Since 2014, Ukraine has virtually withdrawn from its participation in CIS activities. Since 2014, it has refused to perform chairman functions for the organization, withdrawn its posted deputy in the CIS and its representatives from quota posts in the CIS executive committee, not signed a single decision by the highest statutory bodies of the CIS, and reduced its participation in meetings to a minimum. Since the organization’s chairmanship passed to Russia in 2017, Ukraine has ceased sending its higher- and highest-level representatives to CIS meetings.
On May 19, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko put into effect a May 2 decision by the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) titled "On the termination of certain international treaties concluded within the CIS for Ukraine." Ukraine intends to review international treaties within the CIS framework and withdraw from those that do not correspond to its national interests.