(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Aides of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have broken their silence on the rampant corruption within the highest levels of the Ukrainian government.
TIME Magazine’s senior correspondent Simon Shuster, reporting from Ukraine, unveiled the startling revelations from these high-ranking officials in a recent interview.
In a candid admission, a top presidential adviser — whose name was not disclosed — exposed the prevalent culture of corruption within the government, stating, “People are stealing like there’s no tomorrow.”
This statement was in response to Shuster’s expressed belief that Ukrainian officials might hesitate to engage in corrupt practices. However, the revelations painted a starkly different picture. “Simon, you’re mistaken,” the adviser said of the perception that Ukrainian officials would not take bribes.
The advisor’s testimony also implicated Zelenskyy himself, accusing him of turning a blind eye to the corruption for over six months. The advisor admitted that the Ukrainian president gave his allies time to solve the issues quietly or explain them away.
The abrupt dismissal of Defense Minister Olesksii Reznikov, embroiled in the corruption scandal, failed to avert further corruption as other government officials did not “feel any fear.” The report alleged that the firing was perceived as a delayed response to the issue.
Notably, Reznikov’s exit came just days before his scheduled meeting with U.S. defense officials, which raised concerns about high government officials implicated in the scandal.
Shuster’s report revealed that Zelenskyy’s slow act did little to appease allies’ concerns about corruption, with some of them opting to cut off funding.
In response to the scandal, Zelenskky lashed out at the allies, claiming that the issue was overexaggerated. “It’s not right for them to cover up their failure to help Ukraine by tossing out these accusations,” Zelenskyy told TIME.
