On Tuesday, several high-ranking Ukrainian officials, including governors, were fired in a corruption scandal involving President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s government.
This is the largest government reshuffle since the war began.
The move comes as the United States is preparing to approve the supply of M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, despite previous reluctance from international powers to send tanks to the front line.
As a candidate for office in 2019, Zelenskyy ran on an anti-corruption platform, but these new allegations come as Western countries are providing billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine to fight against Russia.
Countries such as the United States have called for more accountability for this aid due to Ukraine’s widespread corruption.
Zelenskyy and his team claim that the firings and resignations are evidence of their efforts to combat corruption, however, the scandal could be used by Russia in its political attacks on Ukraine’s leadership.
Serhii Bochkarev, a 28-year-old translator in the capital, expressed support for the recent actions taken against corruption.
He stated, “Corruption during the war is completely unacceptable because people are sacrificing their lives to fight against the Russians and defend our country.”
The reshuffle also affected President Zelenskyy’s office, as his deputy’s head, Kyrylo Tymoshenko, resigned.
Tymoshenko, known for providing frequent updates on the battlefield, resigned as the President pledged to address allegations of corruption, including those related to military spending.
These allegations have embarrassed authorities and could impede the country’s efforts to become a member of NATO and the European Union.
Tymoshenko’s resignation was requested in an online decree signed by Zelenskyy and Tymoshenko’s social media posts.
No reason was given for the resignation. Additionally, Deputy Defense Minister Viacheslav Shapovalov and Deputy Prosecutor General Oleksiy Symonenko also resigned.
According to the country’s cabinet secretary, who made the announcement on the Telegram messaging app, four deputy ministers and five governors of front-line provinces are leaving their posts.
No criminal charges were announced, and there was no explanation provided for the departures.
Those resignations further weakened government ranks that had already been weakened by last week’s death of the Interior Minister and other ministry leaders.
After working on Zelenskyy’s media strategy during his presidential campaign, Tymoshenko joined the presidential office in 2019.
In September, a National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine investigator investigated him for the embezzlement of more than $7 million in humanitarian aid intended for the southern Zaporizhzhya region, which he used for his personal use of luxury cars. These accusations were denied by Tymoshenko.
Vasyl Lozynsky, a Deputy Minister at the Infrastructure Ministry, was dismissed on Sunday for his alleged involvement in a network embezzling budget funds.
Ukraine’s anti-corruption agency arrested him while he was accepting a $400,000 bribe for helping to fix contracts for restoring facilities damaged by Russian missile strikes, according to Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov.
In a speech on Sunday, Zelenskyy stated that his government’s focus on the Russian invasion would help it address corruption.
Analysts believe that his message was that corruption will not be tolerated. He pledged, “there will be no return to the past.”
“When there is a lot of corruption, it’s very hard to save the country,” said Andrii Borovyk, executive director of Transparency International Ukraine.
The Ukrainian political analyst Volodymyr Fesenko told the Associated Press that “the reshuffle is intended to remind government officials that it intends to keep fighting corruption in Ukraine, especially in times of war, when virtually everything in the country is scarce.”
Fesenko, the head of the Kyiv-based Penta Center independent think tank, said that Ukrainian authorities and Western officials cannot simply ignore the recent scandals.
As he explained, the corruption involved army supplies, so the reshuffle served as a “means to calm Western partners and to prove to Brussels and Washington that their aid is being spent effectively.”
In its 2021 report on corruption worldwide, Transparency International ranked Ukraine 122 out of 180 countries, with 180 being the most corrupt.
Russia ranked 136. Corruption has long made foreign investors and governments cautious about doing business with Ukraine.
Under Zelenskiy, allegations of corruption at high levels of government, in courts, and in businesses have persisted despite a proliferation of anti-corruption panels and measures, according to the State Department 2020 country report.
A significant corruption scandal could put in jeopardy the tens of billions of dollars that the U.S. and its allies are investing in Ukraine to arm its fighters, pay civil servants, and maintain essential services.
It could also threaten the bipartisan support for Ukraine from the United States.
“We appreciate the swift action President Zelenskyy is taking in this case, as well as the effective action taken by Ukraine’s anticorruption institutions, civil society, and media to ensure effective monitoring and accountability of public procurements and to hold those in positions of public trust accountable.”.”
EU leaders agreed on last June to put Ukraine on a path toward membership.
However, countries must meet economic and political conditions to join, including a commitment to the rule of law and other democratic principles.
Additionally, Ukraine has applied to join NATO, but the military alliance is unlikely to offer an invitation at this time due to its contested border, shortcomings in its defence establishment, and corruption issues.
Meanwhile, in a reversal, U.S. officials stated that the Biden administration is planning to approve the sending of M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, a decision that could be announced as early as Wednesday.
However, the tanks may take several months or years to deliver.
According to an official who spoke anonymously, the U.S. announcement of approving the supply of M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine will be coordinated with Germany’s approval of Poland’s request to transfer German-made Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, as the decision has yet to be made public.
The German government declined to comment on the reports of a deal. On Tuesday, Der Spiegel reported without citing a source that Germany would provide Ukraine with at least one company of Leopard 2 tanks.
A speech by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in parliament on Wednesday will include questions from lawmakers, many of whom have pressed the government to contribute tanks to Ukraine with allies.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki stated on Tuesday that Ukrainian soldiers are already being trained on Leopards in Poland by the Poles and other Western allies.
Finland’s Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto suggested Tuesday that Finland might consider joining NATO without neighbouring Sweden if Turkey blocks their joint application.
The statement was the first time a leading official in either Nordic country expressed doubts about joining NATO while the alliance strives to present a united front against Russia.
Following Moscow’s invasion, Sweden and Finland hastened to apply for NATO membership, abandoning their long-standing non-alignment policy.
All existing NATO members must approve their accession, including Turkey, which has so far blocked the expansion on the grounds that Sweden must take action against the exiled Kurdish militants.
The recent shake-up in Ukraine’s government, which included the firing of several high-ranking officials and governors, is a result of a corruption scandal involving President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s government.
This comes as the United States is preparing to approve the supply of M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine, and the EU has agreed to put Ukraine on a path toward membership.
However, for Ukraine to join the EU and NATO, it must meet economic and political conditions, including a commitment to the rule of law and other democratic principles.
The corruption scandal and allegations of corruption at high levels of government, in courts, and in business have persisted despite the proliferation of anti-corruption panels and measures, and it could endanger the tens of billions of dollars that the U.S. and its allies are investing in Ukraine.
