Ukraine government shakes up top officials amid corruption scandal, Western aid at risk.
The recent high-profile shake-up of the Ukrainian government is likely connected to a few different corruption scandals. It appears to be an effort to assure Western partners of Ukraine’s responsible stewardship of billions in military and economic aid. Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head in the office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and a deputy in the ministry of defense, Vyacheslav Shapovalov, were among the high-profile exits. A deputy prosecutor general, regional governors, and a few other government ministers were also sacked.
The most high-profile scandal involves allegations that the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense had signed a contract paying two to three times more for food than retail prices in Kyiv. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) announced its own investigation in response. Tymoshenko had also been accused of driving an expensive sports car and renting a mansion belonging to a prominent businessman. Deputy Defense Minister Viacheslav Shapovalov reportedly asked to be dismissed, so as “not to pose a threat to the stable supply of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as a result of a campaign of accusations related to the purchase of food services.”
The reshuffle comes after Zelenskyy promised to root out high-level corruption and bolster the rule of law when he was elected in 2019. Western governments had long put pressure on Kyiv to deal with these issues, especially as a condition for Ukraine’s invitation into Western institutions. The chaos of conflict tends to be fertile areas for potential graft and can exacerbate existing problems, and Ukraine is no exception.
The US alone has contributed about $100 billion toward Ukraine, including military, security, and economic assistance, while European countries and EU institutions have pledged more than €51 billion in assistance. As the war drags on, some Western lawmakers are questioning the amount of aid flowing to Ukraine and are calling for more accountability on where everything is going. Kyiv relies on foreign support in its fight against Russia, and repeated hints of misuse may jeopardize that, so it’s not surprising Kyiv is moving quickly to respond.
The recent corruption scandal and government shake-up is a reminder of the importance of rooting out corruption in Ukraine. It is also a reminder of the difficulties of doing so in the midst of a war. Anti-corruption experts have abandoned their activities because of the conflict, and the focus on supporting Ukraine’s resistance to Russia and providing military, humanitarian, and economic aid to Kyiv has put corruption issues on the backburner. Some critics have suggested that the shake-up is more of a political move, rather than a genuine anti-corruption effort. It remains to be seen how much of this is for optics and how much reflects a deeper commitment on those corruption promises.
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