Kyiv Independent: Ukraine’s anti-corruption bureau makes progress yet doesn’t take on top presidential allies | Can you imagine Russian media publishing anything like this?

3 comments

1. Also, to the conservatives in my country (USA) criticizing Ukraine for corruption: look at our history. America was an absolute mess and barely functional at the federal level for 130 years. Ukraine has been a democracy for 33 years. To be as free and open as they are is a remarkable achievement, frankly.

2. Sometimes I think Ukraine should now focus on the war
   and work on making corruption impossible or more difficult.
   For prosecution there is more time after the war.
   However it depends on the case and maybe also the limitation of liability in time should be
   frozen until the end of the war.
   But I am from Germany and have no idea how Ukrainians think about the corruption
   and which effect the corruption has their lives.

   One shouldn’t orient on the negative, in this case Russia.
   In the US there were reports in the press about odd things done by Trump when he was president.
   Or also not to forget Wilbur Ross jr., who was secretary of commerce in this time:
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilbur_Ross
   “… In August 2018, Forbes reported that Ross’s business partners and workers accused Ross of illicitly siphoning or stealing a total of $120 million. …”
   Also in Germany there was a scandal related to donations to the party “CDU”
   and the chancellor Helmut Kohl:
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CDU_donations_scandal

   Well, Russia. I have read about some cases in the press,
   but rather regional, small fishes like:
   “The court arrested the head of the Perm general regime colony – Kommersant Perm”
   https://www-kommersant-ru.translate.goog/doc/6580782?_x_tr_sl=ru&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc
   or
   “The court arrested the Deputy Prime Minister of Chuvashia in a corruption case”
   32 million rubles:
   https://govoritmoskva-ru.translate.goog/news/404890/?_x_tr_sl=ru&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp
   However this is regional and can also mean someone has exaggerated or has fallen from grace.

   The reports about Putin’s palace and yacht were published by Navalny, not the Russian press AFAIK.
   Also reports about Putin’s private life and his lovers are a taboo for the Russian press and a
   breach can lead to harsh consequences.
   Putin allies?
   It seems not all are “protected”.
   Here about Kirill’s expensive watches:
   “The scandalous priest explained the presence of expensive watches in Patriarch Kirill”
   https://ura-news.translate.goog/news/1052420113?_x_tr_sl=ru&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc
   And meanwhile there is a taboo related to army and the war in Ukraine.
   It also looks like Russia wants to do it in a Soviet style with state controlled press, TV and radio,
   forgetting that there is the internet. So things appear on Telegram and in
   the end the press has to react.
   There were attempts to take block telegram in Russia since 2022, but it still works.
   Maybe the negative effects would be too severe.
   VPNs are not banned despite of discussions since 2022, only advertising/propagating is forbidden.

   However the main thing is that all the reports have not changed anything.
   No investigation about Kirill (the watches were presents) or Shoigu’s daughters construction projects for the army.
   Russia means: “Putin is great. You are nothing and the government is bad.”
   And because you’re nothing, you can’t change anything.

3. Corruption is part of human nature. The trick is always in recognizing and naming it, and holding to account.

   As a country you have come a long way. There is still distance to go, but you are on course and holding strong. Keep up the good work.