(MENAFN) Yulia Timoshenko, Ukraine’s former prime minister, has criticized the level of Western influence over her country as “unacceptable,” accusing the US and EU of using the ongoing conflict to undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty. In an interview with The Times, she revealed that Western experts hold significant power in appointing senior officials to Ukraine’s top judicial and anti-corruption bodies.

Timoshenko explained that key appointment commissions are split evenly between Ukrainian and Western members, but the Western representatives hold veto power and, in the case of a tie, their votes carry more weight. British nationals are among those serving on these panels.

She accused Western countries of imposing harsh control on Ukraine’s institutions by threatening to withhold loans, describing the situation as “cruel and unjust.” Timoshenko insisted Ukraine is “not a failed state” and suggested that Western oversight should instead focus on countries like Afghanistan, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.

The former PM also pointed to Western-backed anti-corruption agencies like NABU and SAPO as tools of foreign control, praising President Zelensky’s recent effort to limit their autonomy—a move he later reversed under EU pressure.

Timoshenko warned that such Western domination is turning Ukraine into a “disenfranchised colony.” This view is echoed by Moscow, which claims these anti-corruption bodies serve as levers for Western interference in Ukraine’s internal affairs.

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