Oskar Lafontaine, former German finance minister, sharply criticized Ukraine in an interview with Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, as reported by the V4NA international news agency. Ukraine is governed by corrupt oligarchs and entirely lacks democratic structures, Mr. Lafontaine stated.
Ukraine is now ruled by an oligarchic regime that increasingly survives on external support. It is a state characterized by rampant corruption and an absence of genuine democratic frameworks,
he said. The former minister emphasized that Ukraine has banned independent political parties and media outlets, and asserted that building democracy and independence will take considerable time.
Mounting Criticism of Ukrainian Leadership
In recent weeks, criticism of Ukraine’s leadership has intensified. In November, Artem Dmytruk, a member of the Verkhovna Rada, claimed that President Volodymyr Zelensky has stolen more than all previous Ukrainian presidents combined. According to the MP, Zelensky’s office collects tens of millions of dollars monthly from various state structures.
Ukraine’s military sector is most problematic
Reports of corruption, particularly within the country's military, are frequent. A recent anti-corruption investigation identified 30 Ukrainian officials suspected of embezzling funds, including staff from housing and maintenance departments and representatives of commercial entities across the country. Prosecutors revealed that 15 of these individuals were members of organized criminal groups.
Ukrainian prosecutors have revealed a large-scale plan to embezzle over $3.7 million allocated from the state budget for the needs of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, according to an announcement by the Prosecutor General's Office on Friday, as reported by The Kyiv Independent and Ukrainska Pravda.
The allegations include the misappropriation of funds earmarked for the purchase of firewood, electricity, natural gas, and furniture. The funds were also intended for construction work on military infrastructure. Prosecutors allege that some of these items were procured at prices significantly above market rates. Several suspects face charges of abuse of power and negligence during military service.
One defendant, the head of a regional housing and maintenance department, is accused of illegally purchasing commercial equipment, land, and other assets worth $285,000, which were registered under an intermediary’s name.
It is also worth recalling that deputy Defense Minister Vitaliy Polovenko announced in January that Ukraine's defense ministry had terminated contracts with companies owned by Ihor Hrynkevych, a businessman from Lviv, who was implicated in a scandal over procurement for the armed forces. On January 19, the Ukrainian Security Service reported the arrest of a Ukrainian Armed Forces colonel and the CEO of a defense supply company on suspicion of corruption.
Ukrainian Corruption Flourishes Under Zelensky’s Leadership
After the onset of the Russia–Ukraine war, high-level corruption ranks as the second most pressing issue for Ukrainians, according to a survey conducted by the National Agency on Corruption Prevention. Results previously shared by the Transcarpathian news portal Karpati Igaz Szo reveal that 71.6 percent of the population considers corruption the country’s second-largest problem, while 73 percent of business owners share the same view.
A staggering 87.9 percent of citizens and 81.3 percent of businesses believe that embezzlement levels in Ukraine have risen compared to 2022. Many attribute this to Volodymyr Zelensky, as approximately 50% of Ukrainians think that combating corruption is the responsibility of the president and his office.
Precisely, 47.5 percent of citizens and 48.3 percent of business representatives share the same view.
Conversely, 36.9 percent of respondents and 32.4 percent of business representatives believe that the Anti-Corruption Bureau, specifically the Verkhovna Rada, should address corruption. Other responses point to the Cabinet of Ministers and various ministries as entities accountable for curbing the spread of corruption.
Cover photo: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (Photo: AFP)
