Is Ukraine winning its fight against corruption, or is the fight itself becoming part of the country's political struggle? In an extensive article examining Ukraine's latest corruption scandals, The New York Sun cites Balázs Jarábik on the growing influence of anti-corruption institutions and the consequences for Zelensky's wartime political system.
Jarábik argues that the resignation of Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko has weakened an important institutional barrier protecting the presidential majority, giving NABU and SAPO greater room to investigate senior political figures. Yet institutional independence does not necessarily guarantee political neutrality or effectiveness. As Jarábik observes, anti-corruption agencies increasingly rely on investigations and public disclosures, which can have immediate political consequences even before cases reach prosecution or conviction.
The article also examines Europe's limited leverage over Kyiv's internal power struggles. While EU anti-corruption conditionality remains formally in place, preventing Ukraine's financial or military collapse takes precedence over strict enforcement. Jarábik suggests that Zelensky is counting on this dependency to sustain Western support despite mounting domestic tensions. The deeper question is whether Ukraine's anti-corruption institutions can deliver accountability without becoming another front in the struggle for political power.
read the article in full: https://www.nysun.com/article/is-ukraine-winning-or-losing-its-fight-against-corruption?