Ukraine Corruption Festering Into An Existential Threat
Date
2/3/2024 12:06:17 AM
(MENAFN- Asia Times) The latest revelations about corruption in Ukraine tell a complex story. A scandal has engulfed the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, where 100,000 mortar shells worth about US$40 million were paid for but never delivered. But within days of this story emerging, Ukraine achieved its best-ever ranking in the annual corruption perceptions index compiled by Transparency International (TI).
The improved standing in the TI index demonstrates that efforts by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky to crack down on corruption – including in his inner circle – have led to some improvements.
On the other hand, the ammunition scandal is a clear indication of how pervasive and normalised corruption has become when senior defence officials and managers of an arms supplier collude to deprive their country of vital military supplies at a time when their country is facing an existential crisis.
Corruption has long been a problem in Ukraine. But over the past ten years, since annual corruption perceptions scores have been collated, the country has steadily improved . Yet, with the exception of Russia and Azerbaijan, no other European country is perceived as more corrupt than Ukraine.
Ukraine has survived two years of bitter conflict, despite this endemic corruption, and has showed remarkable resilience in the face of Russia's aggression. But these high-profile scandals – and the general perception that Ukraine still battles everyday corruption – have become more existential threats at a time when Ukraine's survival has, to a large extent, become dependent on the continued supply of Western military and financial aid.
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