Zelenskyy was disappointed by Blinken’s focus on corruption in Ukraine during meeting in May - WP
Washington and its allies have repeatedly said that Kyiv is not doing enough to fight corruption. According to experts, Ukraine may be doing too much to please its partners and obscure accountability. And the last meeting between Anthony Blinken and Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the capital was tense because of the US Secretary of State's focus on corruption.
This is reported by The Washington Post, Censor.NET reports.
"Ukrainian officials insist they are fighting corruption as fiercely as their troops are fighting Russian invaders in the east. But Western governments, including the United States, say that's still not enough - a source of increasingly acute tension between Kyiv and some of its strongest supporters, and a constant threat to additional economic and military aid," the article says.
Corruption scandals in the Ukrainian government
The publication notes that almost every month a new case is added to the series of high-profile arrests and dismissals.
At the end of May, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine charged the former deputy head of the Prosecutor General's Office, Andrii Smirnov, with "illicit enrichment". The NABU claims that Smirnov acquired real estate, vehicles, and other assets worth more than 10 times his declared salary and savings.
In April, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy fired Ilya Vitiuk, head of the SSU's cybersecurity department, a few days after Ukrainian media reported that Vityuk's wife had bought an apartment for more than $500,000 in an upscale Kyiv neighborhood.
Last year, the former head of the country's Supreme Court, Vsevolod Kniazev, was accused of taking more than $2 million in bribes, and prominent oligarch Ihor Kolomoyskiy was detained on suspicion of fraud, embezzlement, and money laundering, and then accused of financing a contract killing scheme in the early 2000s.
The publication quotes Ukrainian officials as saying that the cases are "evidence of concerted and successful efforts to combat bribery". However, all of the defendants insist on their innocence and their cases have not yet reached the courts.
"The fact that the number of cases has doubled does not mean that there is twice as much corruption. On the contrary: it means that we are working twice as efficiently as before," the publication quoted the head of the SAPO, Oleksandr Klymenko, as saying.
Billions depend on Ukraine's fight against corruption
At the same time, WP emphasizes that Western capitals are not so sure. Billions are at stake in the fight against corruption in Ukraine - not only their own tax money but also Western military and economic aid.
"Although there have been no direct allegations of misuse or misappropriation of US money or weapons, GOP members of Congress have cited corruption as one of the reasons for the obstruction of the $61 billion aid package - a months-long delay that has allowed Russian forces to advance," the article says.
Zelenskyy was disappointed with Blinken's focus on corruption in Ukraine
WP writes that the meeting in May between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken was tense - the Ukrainian leader expressed his gratitude for US military assistance, but, according to the newspaper's sources, seemed disappointed that Blinken focused on corruption.
Many in the Zelenskyy camp have privately argued that while corruption remains a problem, anti-corruption efforts will distract from what they believe should be the main focus: defeating Russia," WP notes.
Senior Ukrainian officials complain that Americans and Europeans often use the stereotype of a corrupt Ukraine as an excuse to delay or deny vital aid, "and that this accusation is not only a cliché but also evidence of hypocrisy in capitals that have their own corruption problems," the newspaper concludes.
