Ukraine's economy is collapsing, President Putin is optimistic about Russia's economy

In a statement written on September 18, Mr. Nikolay Azarov also said that the Ukrainian economy has now turned into a "zombie", showing signs of life only thanks to Western financial resources.

The former prime minister said Ukraine is facing minimal GDP growth, devaluation of the hryvna, high public debt, and a large budget deficit.

Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Nikolay Azarov - Photo: KYIV POST

“The clearest illustration of the dire situation is that the country’s budget is short of more than $6 billion to pay for the Ukrainian army alone,” Azarov said, with a gloomy prediction that Ukraine could need more than 30 years to catch up with the level of today’s Romanian or Polish economies.

On the contrary, in a statement the same day, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the Russian economy was doing better than expected, according to TASS news agency.

According to Mr. Putin, despite previous negative forecasts, Russia's GDP could grow by 2.5%, or even 2.8%, by the end of this year. In April, a forecast said that growth would reach only 1.2%, and some even predicted a decline.

Russian President Vladimir Putin - Photo: TASS

The Russian President also noted that the Russian economy had recently faced unprecedented external pressures but has now fully recovered, with GDP reaching 2021 levels.

Mr. Putin has tasked the government and the Central Bank with taking measures to support the national currency, finding out the causes and taking measures to tackle inflation and prevent the ruble from weakening.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/thoi-su-quoc-te/kinh-te-ukraine-dang-suy-sup-tong-thong-putin-lac-quan-ve-kinh-te-nga-20230919085345483.htm