A deputy minister was arrested, four were dismissed, five regional governors and at least four senior officials were dismissed. The “cleansing” of President Volodymyr Zelensky may be just the beginning: the Ukrainian leader has announced that his administration has been reorganized into various levels of responsibility, following a string of corruption allegations. It also banned ministers and officials from going abroad, except for compulsory reasons. An operation welcomed by the European Union, which is waiting for a signal from Kiev in this sense to begin unblocking the 15 billion aid that was agreed in December but still in Brussels’ coffers.
scandals
The crackdown began after the scandal struck Sunday’s Deputy Infrastructure Minister Vasyl Lozynski, who was jailed for raising $400,000 to facilitate the purchase of electricity generators at inflated prices. It is a very serious accusation, especially given the humanitarian crisis situation in the country after Russia bombed its energy networks. A journalistic investigation later uncovered another scandal allegedly involving the Department of Defense: in this case, too, this time talking about inflated prices for soldiers’ food rations.
Zelensky’s reaction was immediate: according to Ukrainian media, currently four deputy ministers and five regional governors have resigned or been dismissed, including the defense minister. The flurry of resignations (or dismissals) also affected a person loyal to the president, Kyrylo Tymoshenko, vice-president of the Ukrainian presidential office, and then Deputy Attorney General Oleksiy Simonenko and two other senior officials. According to the Ukrainian media, various accusations of corruption weigh heavily on almost everyone, not just the scandals related to generators and soldiers’ meals. One of the outgoing candidates, the governor of the Kyiv region, Oleksij Kouleba, should be promoted to a post in the government.
In announcing a decree that “applies to anyone expected to work for the state,” the Ukrainian president said, another measure taken by Zelensky is to prohibit ministers and officials from traveling abroad “for vacation or any other non-governmental purpose” in the state.
15 billion in danger
Zelensky’s moves were applauded in Brussels: The European Commission underlined that the Ukrainian president had taken “serious” steps against corruption in his country. “We appreciate that the Ukrainian authorities are taking the issue seriously,” said EU executive spokesperson Ana Pisonero. said. The fight against corruption is one of the measures that Brussels has requested from candidate countries for EU accession. But it is also one of the conditions set by many bloc member states, including Germany, for the release of the aid promised to Kiev. The total amount of this aid, which should serve to cover the costs of war and reconstruction, reached 18 billion euros in December. In January, 3 billion was released with no specific conditions. But for the remaining 15 billion, Ukraine will have to follow a package of 20 measures to get the checks, among which anti-corruption and justice system reform play a key role. “We will verify whether these reforms have actually been implemented at the time of payment of the installments,” the Commission warned Zelensky.
Source: Today IT
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
