Ukrainian Parliament member says Europe should 'cut all trade ties with Russia'
Ukraine Parliament member called Russia a 'ridiculous' trading partner
FOX Business Flash top headlines for March 18
Here are your FOX Business Flash top headlines for March 18.
A member of the Ukrainian Parliament told FOX Business that Europe should end all trade relations with Russia.
Maryan Zablotskyy described Russia as a "ridiculous" trading partner.
"I think this clearly showed [Europe] should cut all trade ties with Russia, just on the basis that they are a completely ridiculous trading partner and not a reliable one," Zablotskyy said. "As we say in Ukraine, ‘It’s better to lose money with a smart person than to try to earn money with an idiot.'"
He also said that Western nations should take a "step back" and look at the decisions made with Russian energy.
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"You cannot very quickly drain all the oil pipelines and all the gas pipelines from gas and oil," Zablotskyy said. "I think the Western world needs to take a step back and look at the decisions they've made before."
Zablotskyy called out Germany in particular, saying that country's government should have made attempts to become more energy independent from Russia as President Vladimir Putin ordered the killings of opponents throughout the 21st century.
Zablotskyy also said that the economic withdrawal of Europe and the United States should happen at a faster pace, noting that several U.S. and European companies are still operating in Russia, therefore paying taxes to Russia's government.
Zablotskyy said that several foreign companies are responsible for a large percentage of Russia's government revenue.
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"I think that those Western companies that stay in Russia and decide to pay taxes will regret it," Zablotskyy said.
The parliament member added that the intent behind the calls for sanctions and economic withdrawal isn't to punish Russian citizens but to decrease the tax revenue that the government receives.
"It's the tax payments that matter currently. We believe that any foreign company should take a responsible step and stop any sort of operations there," Zablotskyy said.
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A building damaged by shelling in Kharkiv, Ukraine, March 11, 2022. (AP Photo/Andrew Marienko / AP Newsroom)
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the invasion into Ukraine Feb. 24, stating that "our confrontation with these [Ukrainian] forces is inevitable."