European countries must understand that punishment alone will not help to resolve the crisis in Ukraine, it is necessary not to disrupt the balance between punishment and significant financial assistance from Kiev, said the first day of the weekend at the Munich security conference Founder and head of the Open Society Foundations George Soros.

"They (the European leaders as amended) in General agreed to help Ukraine, but They have not already done so. But punishment alone will not help. Because Putin is right, if it uses an argument - financial problems are the result of the hostile policy of the West, " said Soros.

He said that the punishment will have the effect of, " only if Europe will help those who really deserve this help."

"It is absolutely necessary that the Europeans kept the balance between punishment and positive help. Unfortunately, Merkel currently, rather, is committed to a policy of extreme austerity, " said Soros.

He added that European leaders are discussing the allocation of financial assistance to Ukraine in the amount of one billion euros, but They do not think, will there be enough of these resources in the framework of military spending.

"You must change your attitude and realize that the story is about the protection of the European security and allocate funds ten times more," said a participant of the discussion ",

At the same time, responding to the suggestion of the moderator of the discussion to provide right now the same amount of money to help Ukraine, multibillionaire stated that it " means irrelevant To this situation."

Relations between Russia and the West deteriorated in connection with the situation in Ukraine. At the end of July last year, the EU and the US from point penalties against private individuals and organizations turned To measures against entire sectors of the Russian economy. In response, Russia has restricted the import of food items from countries that have introduced in relation to penalties: USA, EU, Canada, Australia and Norway. A ban were beef, pork, poultry, sausages, fish, vegetables, fruits, dairy products and some other products.

Moscow has stated many times that it is Absolutely not involved in the events in the South-East of Ukraine, is not a party to domestic conflict and is interested in Ukraine overcame political and economic crisis. In the capital of Russia noted that all charges against her on as if the intervention in the Ukrainian crisis unsubstantiated. Imposed by the West restrictive measures Moscow called illegal, baseless and futile.

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