You're reading: Kyiv won’t provide budget funding for rebel-controlled areas of Donbas

The areas of Donetsk region, which are not controlled by the central authorities, demand Hr 19.6 billion in subventions from the state budget, while rebel-controlled areas of Luhansk region need Hr 14.6 billion this year, but they won't get them under the current circumstances, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk has said.

“As long as the area is controlled by all sorts of impostors, the central budget will not send funds there. The government will not fund terrorists, imposters and swindlers,” the prime minister said opening a government meeting in Kyiv on Nov. 5.

He stressed that all social benefits intended for individuals residing in these areas, will be resumed after Kyiv restores control over Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

“I officially declare that after Russian terrorists leave Donetsk and Luhansk regions and we regain control over these territories, all pensions, all social benefits, all benefits that are assigned to each individual will be paid personally to each of them,” he said.

Yatsenyuk also said that the Finance Ministry together with the State Treasury Service of Ukraine and the Economic Development and Trade Ministry conducted relevant calculations for 2014, according to which the total amount of subventions from the national budget for Donetsk region is Hr 37 billion, that for Luhansk region is Hr 19.8 billion.