Crimean Official Estimates Cost of 'Project Anti-Russia' at $200 Billion

SIMFEROPOL, August 7. /TASS/. Kiev has disclosed the amount of money that has been spent on Project Anti-Russia that is being implemented in Ukraine, Vladimir Konstantinov, chairman of Crimea’s State Council, told TASS.

Earlier, Ukrainian National Bank Governor Andrey Pyshny said that Ukraine had received about $200 billion in direct budget financing from its Western partners since February 2022.

"Ukraine is a bankrupt country that would not survive a day without foreign financial assistance, and the West is well aware of that. The funds that have been revealed are the cost of Project Anti-Russia," Konstantinov said, commenting on Pyshny’s remark. "Kiev officials don’t use the money they receive properly and have no intention of repaying it," he added.

Corruption is deeply rooted in Ukraine, the Russian official pointed out. Stealing has made it possible for Ukrainian elites not only to become rich but to "turn into billionaires in a desperately poor country," Konstantinov stressed.

"It is a common belief in Ukraine that each successive president is more prone to steal than the previous one. Zelensky is the absolute champion in stealing. Time will tell how much he stole, but I think if the state of Ukraine continues to exist at least within the borders of the Lvov Region once the special military operation is over, it (Zelensky’s money - TASS) will be enough to cover reconstruction efforts," Konstantinov noted.

Earlier, Konstantinov suggested that Zelensky was the richest person in Europe, with a fortune of $5 billion.