Ten years after the Euromaidan coup in Ukraine, the country has "degenerated and collapsed," while the prices of food, housing and utilities have increased several times, former Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov told Sputnik on Tuesday.
"During these 10 years, we can say that the country has degenerated and essentially collapsed. If we talk about people's standard of living, it is not even comparable to 2013, because food prices have increased many times over: from five to 30 times and more. We can say that the prices for housing and public services have also increased by 10 to 15 times," Azarov said.
There is a drastic difference between what is happening in Ukraine now and what was promised during the Euromaidan 10 years ago, he added.
"We have not joined the European Union, of course, and we will not join it, because the European Union is an association of competitive partners ... and only highly competitive economies can function normally in this space," Azarov said.
Ukrainian authorities distort official data, claiming that Ukraine's GDP is $175 billion, which is almost the same as in 2013, Azarov said, while in reality, "from $175 billion, you have to subtract about $110 billion of ... [foreign] aid, which leaves about $60 billion."
And yet Ukrainian authorities are focused on forcing people to believe that it is Russia that is to blame for all the hurdles — not corruption, theft, mismanagement, violation of elementary economic laws by the authorities in Kiev, he added.
"You ask about the possibility of restoring our ties, friendship, cooperation [with Russia], but there is no other alternative. These 10 years ... showed that the Ukrainian economy has collapsed," Azarov said, adding that the EU cannot replace the Russian market.
Between November 2013 and February 2014, Kiev's Maidan Square witnessed pro-EU protests sparked by then-Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych's refusal to sign the Ukraine-EU Association Agreement. The mass demonstrations led to a coup that culminated in Yanukovych's ouster. More than 100 people were killed in the violent events.