My response to a June 24th Article by R Bensh entitled “5 Things Ukraine Must Do To Become Energy Independent“

Ukraine’s problems can’t be fully addressed by simply changing the ownership of energy assets. This misses the potential for the Ukraine to solve its own energy issues, to make gains in energy security via energy efficiency, for example and by improving the management of state-run enterprises to get more out of its considerable domestic energy resources.
Norway demonstrates that state run enterprises can function effectively in the energy business, provided they are given clear mandates by government and have competent management, free of political interference.
As we’ve seen elsewhere, energy efficiency requires an energy price signal that is also independent of ownership.
If the Ukraine is to have secure supplies of competitively priced energy, then market reforms are clearly necessary to attract investment and Western technology.

However, reforms, which include a determined attack on corruption, should be implemented by the new Government before there is any wholesale divestiture of state energy assets. To begin that process now, without market transparency, would guarantee a fire sale that would be hard for Ukrainians to accept as they are forced to adjust to higher energy costs and fuel poverty for many.
Moving from a system of heavily subsidized energy consumers to a fully market-driven one in a single step, would create an enormous challenge to political and social stability and create fertile ground for outside mischief-makers.