Amidst the ongoing conflict with Russia, an aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky voiced concerns about corruption in the country in a conversation with Time Magazine. The Zelensky aide, speaking off the record, was quoted by the magazine as saying, “People are stealing like there’s no tomorrow,” referencing bribery and the misuse of state funds. This observation was shared after the aide requested the journalist to turn off their audio recorder for a candid conversation, as reported by Time.
In reaction to this disclosure, Ohio Senator J.D. Vance commented on Twitter, expressing disbelief over claims of Ukraine’s clean governance. He stated, “I’ve sat in a lot of briefings where I was promised Ukraine doesn’t have a corruption problem. The Biden admin has lied to us. Not one more penny to Ukraine.”
Further evidencing the corruption challenges, Time Magazine highlighted the delayed action against Oleksiy Reznikov, the former Minister of Defence of Ukraine. He came under scrutiny in January 2023 for allegations of overseeing inflated purchases of military rations. Soldiers reportedly poked fun at these allegations, coining humorous references like “Reznikov’s eggs.” The outcome of the investigation led to his termination in September, as covered by The Kyiv Independent.
In a separate incident, Ukrainian media outlet Bihus.ino reported on alleged conflicts of interest involving President Zelensky’s top energy advisor, Rostyslav Shurma.
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