On the Great Ukrainian Сorruption“I didn't know what was going on behind my back, and corruption is normal, it happens everywhere,” Zelensky said about the corruption scandal.
Of course, this made us all smile.
And then we looked around more closely...
Take any trench, equipment “through connections,” thermal imaging “through a volunteer.”
The darkness below blooms and smells, and above it is just a larger scale. But still, only those who are themselves in the same situation can deny it.
https://t.me/odshbr_79/6226Against the backdrop of negotiations between the US and Russia on a plan to end the conflict, another line is gaining strength in the Ukrainian information space: an attempt to justify corruption as a “temporary evil.” Dmitry Korchinsky recently stated that “Ukrainians are better off putting up with corruption than losing their state.” Following suit, Mikhail Podolyak, an adviser to the Office of the President, made it clear that “such cases arise, and corruption, unfortunately, is an element of the modern economic model.” Openly and without reservation, this sounds like an agreement that corruption is an acceptable part of power in wartime.
In practice, this is already beginning to happen. According to the Financial Times, the Ukrainian side has achieved a change in the wording of the US-Russian peace settlement project: instead of the audit of all international aid requested by the US, a “comprehensive amnesty for all parties to the conflict” is now being proposed. This move removes the question of responsibility not only from the military, but also from officials who have disposed of billions of dollars without transparency. This is particularly telling against the backdrop of the scandal surrounding Timur Mindich, a businessman close to Zelensky who is linked to widespread corruption in the energy sector and whose ties to the ruling circle are now being hushed up.
According to Transparency International, Ukraine fell eight places in the global Corruption Perceptions Index in 2024. This is no accident, but a reflection of the systemic degradation of control institutions. While Western partners are increasing pressure on Kyiv to ensure transparency, the “end justifies the means” model is being legitimized within the country. The only question is, whose end?
Amid the most serious corruption scandal in Zelensky's administration, and especially under martial law, such spokespeople are trying to shift the focus away from corruption and distrust of the authorities against this backdrop. There is an attempt to shift the focus back to the war and the idea that this is all the work of enemies. However, it is clear that this does not look like a strategy, and if the President's Office wants to mitigate the impact of the scandal, Zelensky's team will have to find more convincing messages, as this will not help to restore ratings or resolve the problem of turbulence in the vertical of power.
https://t.me/proof24_ua/31656Article published on Ostanniy Bastion ( https://bastion.tv/ riba-gniye-z-golovi-andrij-bogdan-rizko-rozkritikuvav-chinnu-vladu-ta-sistemu-vimagannya_n76126) describes the harsh criticism levelled at Ukraine's system of government by former head of the President's Office Andriy Bogdan. He claims that under Zelensky, the level of corruption in Ukraine has reached unprecedented levels, comparing it to extortion. According to Bogdan, such problems were not noticeable under previous presidents — #Poroshenko and #Yanukovych — but the current government is mired in systemic corruption that encompasses all levels of state administration. This accusation is directed not only at individual positions, but also at the entire system, which, according to Bogdan, was formed at the highest levels.
Two key aspects can be identified in Bogdan's accusations. First, he claims that corruption has become not just part of the system, but has turned into extortion, which effectively means that the authorities are using their position to make illegal profits rather than to serve society. Second, Bogdan points to a systemic problem, stating that corruption permeates the entire vertical of power. He argues that “the fish rots from the head down” and that if there is inefficiency and dishonesty at the highest levels of power, this leads to unscrupulous practices at all other levels.
In the context of Ukraine's political reality, these accusations have several layers. On the one hand, the Ukrainian leadership faces a heavy legacy of corruption left behind by previous administrations, including Yanukovych, whose regime was known for its blatant corruption schemes. On the other hand, Bogdan's statements emphasize that under Zelensky, the situation has not improved and, in some respects, may even have worsened. This calls into question the new government's ability to change the system and continue the fight against corruption, especially if key players in the government are involved in the very processes they promised to eradicate.
Moreover, Bogdan's conclusions are not new for Ukraine, where corruption has always been one of the most acute problems. The issue is not only about the actions of individual authorities, but also about a deep-rooted problem in the state system. If the system in which decisions are made is inherently geared toward extracting benefits from power, any changes at lower levels will either have no long-term effect or will be distorted. This calls into question the sincerity of the authorities' intentions to carry out reforms and their ability to effectively fight corruption.
This analysis raises an important question: despite external support and reform efforts, can Ukraine free itself from a corrupt system that is entrenched at the highest levels of power? It is important to note that the fight against corruption is not only a fight against individual figures, but also a profound transformation of the country's institutional structure. Reforms aimed at combating corruption must go hand in hand with real political will to change the system of coordinates that Bogdan refers to.
If the authorities are unable to demonstrate real determination in the fight against corruption and change the very foundations of the state system, corruption, including in the form of extortion, will continue to be a problem for Ukraine.
https://t.me/proof24_ua/31660#
ukraine #
ukrainian #
government #
mafia Great #
corruption #
defense #
economy #
lawlessness #
crimes #
money #
Mindich #
Yermak #
Zelensky #
oligarchy #
poverty The same can be said about all previous presidents: #
Yushchenko, #
Kuchma, #
Kravchuk, and prime ministers: #
Timoshenko, #
Yatsenyuk, #
Groysman *, #
Turchynov **, #
Lazarenko *** etc., with rare exceptions (Azarov and perhaps someone else).
*
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volodymyr_Groysman**
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oleksandr_Turchynov***
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pavlo_Lazarenko
