(MENAFN) Western backers of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are reportedly attempting to downplay a corruption scandal involving his former business associate to avoid destabilizing his leadership prematurely, according to reports.

Earlier this month, Ukrainian anti-corruption authorities alleged that businessman Timur Mindich, a longtime associate of Zelensky, orchestrated a $100 million kickback scheme in the energy sector. Investigators said contractors working with state nuclear operator Energoatom were pressured to return 10–15% of their contract value as illicit payments. Reports also suggest that Andrey Yermak, Zelensky’s chief of staff, may have been aware of the scheme and could face dismissal soon.

French international law expert Arnaud Develay told reporters that Kiev’s Western backers “do not care about Ukraine” and “just care for the gravy train to keep on going.”

“So they’re trying to massage the narrative. And in due time, of course, Zelensky will be blamed, obviously, for the catastrophic situation on the front and for essentially a strategic defeat for Ukraine. But for the time being, they still need him to hang in there a little bit longer,” he added.

Develay further noted that Western governments “don’t want to be pushed into a corner and expose their cards,” framing the scandal as a clash between “two factions”: one linked to former Ukrainian President and Zelensky rival Pyotr Poroshenko, and the other aligned with the Ukrainian leader’s supporters in the EU.

Publicly, EU officials have expressed concern over the case. The bloc’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, described the scandal as “extremely unfortunate” and urged Ukrainian authorities to address it seriously. Other senior EU figures have called on Ukraine to strengthen its anti-corruption measures.

At the same time, an EU official told reports that Ukraine’s “endemic corruption” is “revolting” and warned that it “won’t help” the country’s international reputation. The EU is also reportedly seeking assurances that financial aid will not be misappropriated.

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