U.S. urges Ukraine to strengthen fight against corruption to prevent blocking of aid - CNN
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. President Joe Biden (Photo: Getty Images)
In recent weeks, the United States has urged Ukraine to exert more efforts in combating corruption to avoid the risk of blocking non-military aid, according to CNN.
In comments to CNN, unnamed officials stated that all forms of American assistance, except for military aid, could be in jeopardy if Ukraine does not do more to tackle corruption.
"The message to the Ukrainians has always been that if any of these funds are misappropriated, then it jeopardizes all U.S. aid to the country," said one U.S. official to CNN.
At the end of the summer, the State Department sent Ukraine an official diplomatic note, also known as a démarche, stating that the U.S. expects Ukraine to continue taking various measures to combat corruption and ensure financial transparency to continue receiving direct budgetary support.
The démarche also emphasizes the need for Ukraine to implement critical reforms under the International Monetary Fund program, including those related to the fight against money laundering/financing terrorism.
Background
Yesterday, Politico reported that officials from the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden had prepared a confidential strategy for Ukraine. It states that in the United States, there is much greater concern about corruption in Ukraine than is publicly displayed.
At the same time, the U.S. State Department noted that Ukraine has taken "aggressive measures" to overcome corruption in recent weeks.
The U.S. has provided Ukraine with priority reforms for accelerated integration into Europe. These reforms address the functioning of anti-corruption bodies (SAPO, NABU, NACP), the Higher Council of Justice, the overall judiciary, and supervisory boards of state enterprises.
