The head of the Servant of the People faction David Arahamia believes that the US and other countries "sow panic" around a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine - and this has a negative impact on the Ukrainian economy. He said this at a briefing on the sidelines of the Verkhovna Rada.
Arahamia was asked to comment on reports from the U.S. State Department that a new Russian invasion could happen in February.
"Most people, having seen that three, four, five "exact dates" of the invasion have already passed, realized that this is just intimidating people and an attempt to sow panic. I don't know the real reasons why the U.S. is doing this, but it's certainly not working in favor of the Ukrainian economy... We are communicating through diplomatic channels. Mr. Dmitry Kuleba, as Minister of Foreign Affairs, constantly raises this issue, because it is not friendly," said Arahamia.
When asked who exactly he was talking about, Arahamia replied, "I am talking about the United States and other countries that are trying to sow panic."
Arahamia also believes that during the escalation near Ukraine's borders in the spring of 2021, most of the signals were transmitted through closed channels.
"Now everything we learn, before the intelligence comes in, is already published in The New York Times or the Economist or CNN. So it seems to me that this is some kind of primarily an information special operation, not a military one," he said.
At the same time, Arahamia said that Ukraine is taking advantage of the situation. For example, the number of contacts with international partners has increased - not only military but also economic, investment and financial issues are discussed with them, he said.
