By: Ricardo Abud
Ukraine has been internationally recognized as one of the most corrupt countries in Europe for decades. According to Transparency International, prior to 2022 it ranked between 120 and 140 out of 180 countries in the Corruption Perceptions Index, levels comparable to nations with serious governance problems.
This corruption was not a minor problem but a systemic one, involving the capture of the state by oligarchs, the massive diversion of public funds, institutionalized bribery at all levels, a politicized and ineffective justice system, and fraudulent public contracts.
Nikolay Azarov, the former Ukrainian prime minister, has claimed that over $100 billion in Western aid may have been misappropriated. Regardless of his current political alignment, Azarov has an intimate knowledge of the workings of the Ukrainian state apparatus, having held high-ranking positions for years. His statements cannot be dismissed simply because of his subsequent political stance, but must be evaluated within the context of his direct experience in Ukrainian power structures.
Several corruption cases have come to light since the start of the war. Defense Ministry officials were dismissed for overpaying for food purchases for the troops, paying up to three times the market price. In January 2023, multiple high-ranking officials resigned or were removed in what was considered an anti-corruption purge, including deputy ministers and regional governors.
News reports have documented the acquisition of luxury properties and high-end vehicles by officials during the conflict. Irregularities in energy supply contracts and infrastructure projects have been consistently reported, although the urgency of war has frequently served as justification for avoiding detailed scrutiny.
Volodymyr Zelensky came to power in 2019 with an anti-corruption platform that garnered him massive electoral support. However, his administration has revealed significant contradictions that warrant analysis. Several members of his team and personal friends have occupied key positions with access to lucrative contracts, perpetuating practices from the past that he promised to eradicate.
He has consolidated control over the media, political parties, and the security apparatus, limiting independent oversight. International organizations have reported difficulties accessing complete information on the use of funds, encountering resistance to thorough audits. Journalistic investigations have pointed to properties abroad linked to him and his inner circle, acquired both before and during his presidency, raising questions about the origin of these resources.
The conflict has created an extraordinarily lucrative economic ecosystem that benefits multiple actors. More than $200 billion in international aid has flowed into Ukraine with limited controls due to the urgency of war. National security is repeatedly invoked to avoid transparency in military and defense contracts, creating opaque areas ripe for corruption.
International reports have documented the trafficking of Western weapons that end up in illegal markets, diverted from their original purpose. The country's future reconstruction is estimated at between $400 billion and $750 billion, a massive economic incentive that is already generating competition and maneuvering among construction companies, consulting firms, and international corporations.
A complex geopolitical analysis suggests that multiple actors benefit from the continuation of the war. The Western military-industrial complex has received unprecedented massive contracts, revitalizing an industry facing budget cuts. Ukrainian elites maintain continued access to extraordinary funds with limited oversight, in a context where criticism can be labeled unpatriotic or pro-Russian.
For Zelensky personally, the war maintains his international relevance and provides him with political protection he would hardly have in peacetime. The end of the conflict could expose accumulated corrupt practices and potentially lead to legal proceedings, both domestically and internationally. Western allies are using the conflict to strategically weaken Russia without direct loss of life among their own citizens, although they are investing considerable sums financially.
Zelensky has repeatedly rejected negotiation proposals, even those that could gradually recover territory or establish security zones. This could be explained by a genuine defense of absolute territorial sovereignty, but also by pressure from Western allies interested in further weakening Russia, or by a personal fear of losing the immunity that wartime leadership provides.
The moment he ceases to be useful as a symbol of resistance, or when the war ends, Zelensky will inevitably face investigations into his handling of resources during the conflict. Recent history shows that subsequent Ukrainian leaders frequently end up persecuted or exiled for corruption, a fate he knows all too well.
While hundreds of thousands of people are killed or injured, and millions remain displaced, living as refugees, certain sectors are amassing extraordinary fortunes. This reality raises fundamental ethical questions about who truly benefits from the conflict and what human cost is being borne.
Families torn apart, cities razed, generations traumatized stand in stark contrast to the swollen bank accounts and properties acquired by those in positions of power. Suffering becomes a commodity, despair a business opportunity.
Corruption in Ukraine is not a conspiracy theory or Russian propaganda, but a fact thoroughly documented by international organizations, independent investigative media, and Ukraine's own anti-corruption agencies. The war has exponentially magnified these practices by providing unprecedented amounts of money with weakened or eliminated oversight mechanisms under the pretext of national emergency.
The question is not whether corruption exists, but its true extent and who the main beneficiaries are. Azarov's claims about the $100 billion embezzled deserve a serious and independent investigation, regardless of his current political stance. Automatically dismissing allegations based on the identity of the person making them is precisely the kind of thinking that allows corruption to flourish.
The human tragedy of the conflict demands absolute transparency regarding how resources supposedly intended to “defend” the Ukrainian people are being used. Every dollar diverted means a soldier without adequate equipment, a family without shelter, a hospital without medicine. The international community has a moral responsibility to demand full accountability, not as a favor to Russia, but as an obligation to the Ukrainian people who are suffering the consequences of decades of systematic plunder at the hands of their own elites.
THERE IS NOTHING MORE EXCLUSIONARY THAN BEING POOR
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