Germans, Ukrainians working on “Marshall Plan” for Ukraine

German politicians have teamed up with Ukrainians to develop a “Marshall plan” for Ukraine’s stabilization and development, the segodnya.ua news site reported on Feb. 29, citing Karl-Georg Wellman, the head of the German-Ukrainian parliamentary group in the Bundestag. He said a plan, which would work in conjunction with the Association Agreement, is needed to avoid “Ukraine fatigue” in Europe and will involve significantly more finances and political efforts.

The plan is still being developed and not part of official policy, Wellman said. “If this ‘Marshall Plan’ begins to work at any time, then only under full control and monitoring,” he said.

Zenon Zawada: Ukraine experts such as Dr. Anders Aslund have long called for a Marshall Plan for Ukraine, which is desperately needed. However, just how to implement such a plan amid the ongoing political and judicial disorder is quite elusive. It’s clear that Ukrainian politicians aren’t capable of doing it.

Wellman’s suggestion of “full control and monitoring” implies a government of technocrats. Yet the West is having a hard enough time getting American-born Finance Minister Natalie Jaresko appointed as prime minister, and keeping professionals like Aivaras Abromavicius in place in the Cabinet amid all the corruption. In essence, he West recognizes that the Ukrainian oligarchy and its political tentacles needs to be replaced, but it doesn’t know how to do it.