The Biden administration received massive criticism not only for sending U.S. taxpayer money to Ukraine instead of addressing pressing issues here at home, but also for seemingly ignoring that nation’s long track record of corruption.
Along the way, experts have warned that much of the money sent to Ukraine under the guise of assisting in its war against Russia would wind up padding the pockets of corrupt officials.
Now, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy seems to be proving that point with his admission that more than half of the cash America sent him can’t be accounted for:
NEW: Ukrainian President Zelensky says Ukraine has only received about $75 billion of the $177 billion in aid that was allegedly sent from the United States.
"I don't know where all this money is… we never received it.”
What?pic.twitter.com/1SdtHCzm31
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) February 2, 2025
As Politico reported in 2023, internal Biden administration communications included the concession that Ukrainian corruption was a serious problem:
Biden administration officials are far more worried about corruption in Ukraine than they publicly admit, a confidential U.S. strategy document obtained by POLITICO suggests.
The “sensitive but unclassified” version of the long-term U.S. plan lays out numerous steps Washington is taking to help Kyiv root out malfeasance and otherwise reform an array of Ukrainian sectors. It stresses that corruption could cause Western allies to abandon Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s invasion, and that Kyiv cannot put off the anti-graft effort.
“Perceptions of high-level corruption” the confidential version of the document warns, could “undermine the Ukrainian public’s and foreign leaders’ confidence in the war-time government.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Join the conversation!
Please share your thoughts about this article below. We value your opinions, and would love to see you add to the discussion!