Claims of widespread corruption in Ukraine, consisting of amongst its management, are a false "Russian narrative," the head of President Vladimir Zelensky's office proclaimed in an interview on Friday.
" Ukraine is not the world's most corrupt nation or one of the most corrupt. This is not true," Andrey Yermak stated, when asked by journalist Natalia Mosiychuk whether the issue had actually been brought up by Kiev's foreign sponsors.
Yermak maintained that the country's management was graft-free which Zelensky personally had no tolerance for it in his inner circle.
" You understand for sure that neither the president nor I am corrupt," he said.
" I believe no one, unless they are paid to spread out someone's fake news, would call our president corrupt," Yermak claimed.
Zelensky was an effective and popular entrepreneur before he ran for president, and went into politics due to the fact that he did not like the system, his partner stated. He brought into his federal government numerous pals from his entertainment organization, but according to Yermak, Zelensky would not deal with anyone as untouchable or tolerate someone who does not share his principles.
Ukrainians are not 'stealing like there's no tomorrow'-- FM
Find out more Ukrainians are not 'taking like there's no tomorrow'-- FM
The head of state presses police authorities to examine all cases of presumed graft completely, Yermak firmly insisted.
The Zelensky government has actually been rocked by numerous major corruption scandals, including in the Defense Ministry. A current profile of the Ukrainian leader in Time publication explained the shooting of Minister Aleksey Reznikov, a close Zelensky ally, from his position in September as coming "far too late."
The president was alerted about a looming scandal over the procurement of expensive food for soldiers in February, but failed to act, providing "his allies several chances to deal with the problems silently or describe them away," the report stated. He relocated to replace the minister ahead of a visit to the US, but by that moment "Reznikov's eggs" caused reputational damage to Ukraine, both on the frontline and in foreign capitals.
At lower levels, Ukrainian authorities are "taking like there's no tomorrow," a confidential Zelensky assistant was quoted by Time as stating. Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba called the declaration "incorrect" and prompted people to trust the EU's assessment that Kiev was successfully combating corruption.
READ MORE: No American money left for Ukraine-- USAID
Western political leaders opposing ongoing funding for Ukraine while it fights Russia have actually cited graft as one of the factors for their unwillingness. In the United States the concern has actually resulted in a crisis on Capitol Hill, with some Home Republicans refusing to allocate more money. The White House has attempted to bundle its request for Ukraine funds with Israeli help to overcome the resistance however has actually up until now stopped working.
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