Ex-defence minister Fedorov says corruption is preventing Ukraine from ending war from position of strength
Former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov has said that corruption is preventing Ukraine from ending the war from a position of strength, and there are not just a few people involved, but "hundreds of people".
Source: Fedorov in an interview with 24 Kanal
Quote: "Corruption is preventing us from ending the war from a position of strength. There are a large number of people who have constructed various schemes and pursued their own interests, and they are holding back the adoption of the right decisions. I experienced this at the Defence Ministry, I fought it, I dismantled those schemes there and I stopped them. A large number of law enforcement officers support them, and a large number of people are building these schemes.
This isn't about one project or one branch of government. It's about a new social contract. Let's find people who make effective decisions to stop the war, let's give them the opportunity to work, let's assess them through the subsequent democratic process. Because when there is no such process… We are no longer surprised by the latest NABU [National Anti-Corruption Bureau] recordings. Even if they appear every week, it seems now that the whole of society understands: 'Everyone steals.' But this is not normal."
Details: Asked why he did not name the corrupt individuals concerned, Fedorov said: "The time will come when all Ukrainians will learn their names. Some will learn them from recordings made by the law enforcement agencies, some from journalistic investigations, and some for other reasons. We are also doing our homework in this area. And eventually all the names... everyone in our country will find out everything; it has always been this way. That is our culture. And it will happen in this case as well."
Fedorov went on: "We are not talking about one or two people, or just some senior officials; we are talking about hundreds of people who over the years have become accustomed to making money from the state budget."
When the interviewer asked why these people have prevailed, given that Fedorov has not been reinstated as defence minister, he replied: "I think these people will lose, because that was a battle for the Defence Ministry, whereas this is a war for the development of the country, and they will definitely lose that war. I see a lot of evidence of this – both the activity of our citizens who took to the streets in protest and the work of the anti-corruption agencies."
Asked whether he is still in contact with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Fedorov said: "I think we haven't spoken for a few weeks, definitely."
Background: In a video address on 18 August, Fedorov said that Ukraine is facing a "systemic crisis of governance" and criticised the influence of private interests on the work of parliament, particularly with regard to defence, pharmaceuticals, gambling and taxation.
Read more in Ukrainska Pravda:
Mykhailo Fedorov: "Would I return as defence minister? 100%!" Part 2 of our interview
Your support on Patreon helps us keep the news free and accessible.