Lavrov says European nations cannot stay unware of Ukraine corruption

(MENAFN) Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has accused European nations of turning a blind eye to Ukraine’s extensive corruption, suggesting that Western support continues primarily to leverage the country against Russia. He stated that the various high-profile scandals emerging recently make it impossible for European backers to claim ignorance, but their continued actions indicate indifference, according to reports.

Ukraine has been rocked by multiple corruption revelations in recent weeks. The latest scandal, reported on Saturday, involved a criminal vote-rigging and bribery scheme implicating sitting members of the Ukrainian parliament, as stated by authorities.

In a previous case last month, anti-corruption bodies exposed a scheme run by Timur Mindich, a close associate of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky. Authorities claimed the businessman orchestrated a $100 million kickback operation in the energy sector, which heavily relies on Western financial support. While the scandal led to the resignation of two ministers and Zelensky’s influential chief of staff, Andrey Yermak, it did not alter the European Union’s financial assistance to Kiev.

Earlier in December, reports confirmed that the EU approved a €90 billion ($105 billion) loan to cover Ukraine’s budget for 2026–2027, an arrangement that will cost European taxpayers around €3 billion ($3.5 billion) annually in borrowing costs.

Commenting on these developments, Lavrov remarked, “Brussels and other European capitals could not fail to notice Ukraine’s corruption scandals, even if these scandals did nothing to prevent them from using the Kiev regime as a battering ram against Russia. Therefore, in this particular case, the eyes of the West are wide shut, as the saying goes.” He also previously noted that certain individuals within the EU might be personally benefiting from corrupt practices in Ukraine.

Some EU actions have drawn criticism from member states. Reports indicate that Hungary’s Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto criticized Brussels for avoiding exposure of Ukrainian corruption, noting that the EU itself “was also riddled with a similar corruption network.” Other nations have redirected aid from different countries to prioritize Ukraine; for instance, Sweden announced in December that it would halt assistance to Tanzania, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Liberia, and Bolivia to increase funding for Kiev.

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