A thousand hryvnias or a thousand illusions?

New expenses mean either new taxes or new debts. So, what does the “1000 UAH for every citizen” initiative really represent?

It is a deception of taxpayers.  

It is a trivialization of economic policy.  

It is an expression of paternalism, where the state does not trust its people, assuming it knows better what they need.  

It’s like trying to feed people borscht by giving them only a spoonful of hot water and calling it a meal.

I usually avoid publicly criticizing the authorities for two reasons. First, we are at war, and any blows to the credibility of the country’s leadership during wartime can lead to tragic consequences. Second, my cooperation with the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Strategic Industries, and the Ministry of Digital Transformation places me in a position where criticism could bring additional risks to the cause I’m involved in.

But what I see now is a form of economic absurdity, completely detached from sound logic.

Is there truly no wiser alternative than to spend a billion dollars during wartime on such a one-time handout? Is distributing 1000 UAH to every citizen a higher priority than buying 500,000 drones for the front line? Is it more beneficial than supporting small and medium businesses, which are the foundation of economic recovery? Is it more important than investing in new technologies that could change the course of the war or strengthening the protection of energy facilities crucial to the country’s survival?

This policy appears to be a display of profound disrespect toward the people. It perceives citizens not as individuals capable of actively contributing to their country’s future, but as a crowd to be controlled and pacified with symbolic gestures. Does the government truly believe that the people are a faceless herd that will be content with crumbs from the table, oblivious to the real processes taking place?

By increasing taxes by 5%, the government is essentially taking the same 1000 UAH from each Ukrainian, only to return it as a one-time payment in December. Is this meant to be an act of generosity, aimed at instilling a sense of gratitude for the return of what rightfully belongs to them?

I don’t need conclusions, as they are already clear. And I won’t suggest alternatives, as no one will listen.

I am ready to fight a strong enemy, giving everything for our victory. But I am powerless against foolishness because foolishness cannot be defeated—it simply remains what it is.

So, I will just keep eating my borscht and fighting in the way I know how.

Oleksandr Yakovenko

Tags: Analytics Opinion Ukraine government Volodymyr Zelenskyy