Zelenskyy shares income first time since full-scale war against Russia started
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Getty Images)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shared publicly how much money he earned in 2021 and 2022 as part of a transparency stimulus for the country's officials. It is the first time he revealed the income since the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine started, Bloomberg and Reuters report.
According to the statement of the President's Office, the year before Russia attacked Ukraine, in 2021, Zelenskyy and his family earned 10.8 million hryvnia (about $285,000). This was less than the previous year, even though Zelenskyy earned money by selling government bonds.
In 2022, the first year of the war, Zelenskyy's family earned even less - nearly 3.7 million hryvnia - because the war caused a drop in rental income from the real estate they owned.
"According to the 2022 declaration, the income of the President and his family members amounted to UAH 3 million 692 thousand 683," the statement says. "The income of the President's family in 2022 decreased due to the temporary termination of lease agreements on the territory of Ukraine as a result of the beginning of Russia's full-scale aggression".
Zelenskyy used to earn much more money before he emerged as a politician. He was a famous TV entertainer and ran a big production company.
Fight against corruption in Ukraine
Even though the war allowed Ukrainian officials to keep some personal information private, Zelenskyy wants them to share the income data publicly. It is crucial to stop deep-rooted corruption and make sure Ukraine keeps receiving financial aid from its Western allies. Currently, more than $100 billion in funds is stuck because of political issues in the U.S. and EU.
The United States and EU, along with the International Monetary Fund, keep asking Ukraine to show that it is working hard to eradicate corruption. Anti-corruption reform is one of the most important requirements Ukraine must implement to join the EU.
