U.S. and European warnings about a potential Russian military attack on Ukraine may have staved off an invasion for the moment, but the statements have also caused collateral damage for Ukraine’s economy, officials in Kyiv and experts say.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last week blamed talk of war by the U.S. and other foreign partners for scaring off investors and triggering a 10 percent decline in the country’s currency. U.S. and Western officials, however, believe the warnings have helped alert the world to the danger posed by Russia’s troop buildup and that Moscow’s menacing actions are to blame for any turmoil in the markets.
