Latest news with #EasternEurope
LBCI
an hour ago
- Politics
- LBCI
Ukrainian MPs vote to end independence of anti-corruption agencies
Ukrainian MPs on Tuesday approved amendments to remove the independence of two anti-corruption bodies in the war-torn country, a day after the arrest of an official working in one of the agencies. Despite widespread criticism from NGOs and rights groups, parliament voted 263 in favour and 13 against to place the two government anti-corruption agencies under the direct authority of the prosecutor-general, who the president appoints. AFP
Russia Today
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Ukrainian PM claims corruption problem ‘overemphasized'
New Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Sviridenko sought to downplay longstanding concerns about corruption in the country in an interview with Bloomberg published on Tuesday. An escalating clampdown on independent anti-graft agencies has drawn international scrutiny. Sviridenko cited recent polling data suggesting that while most Ukrainians believe corruption is widespread, far fewer report encountering it directly. 'To be frank, within Ukrainian society and certain social groups, the issue is being amplified and overemphasized,' Sviridenko claimed in the interview, without elaborating. On Monday, Ukrainian security officials raided the offices of the country's independent anti-corruption agency, the NABU, arresting two investigators. Established in 2015 as part of judicial reforms aimed at aligning Ukraine with Western standards, the NABU has long been seen as one of the country's few credible anti-corruption institutions. The raids have sparked 'serious concerns' from the ambassadors of the Group of Seven – Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, and US – who said the issue would be formally raised with the Ukrainian leadership. On Tuesday, lawmakers added to the concerns by approving draft legislation that would place the NABU and the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) under the authority of the general prosecutor, who is appointed by the president. Bloomberg described the bill as one that could 'potentially cripple efforts to tackle high-level graft.' Reuters cited a Western diplomat calling the developments 'the most dangerous moment yet' for Ukraine's anti-graft institutions. Kiev, the diplomat said, was 'testing the limits' of its Western allies 'more and more.' The European Commission also voiced alarm, emphasizing that the agencies must 'operate independently to…maintain public trust.' Brussels has long identified corruption as a major obstacle to Kiev's EU membership ambitions. Ukraine has developed a reputation for endemic corruption, a problem that has worsened since the escalation of conflict with Russia in 2022, as the defense sector has been rocked by procurement scandals and donors have demanded greater transparency. In April, US National Security Adviser Michael Waltz called for tighter oversight of US financial aid, describing Ukraine as 'one of the most corrupt nations in the world.'
CBC
3 hours ago
- Politics
- CBC
Why Russian drones are getting harder to shoot down
Russia is using upgraded weapons to launch its escalating attacks on Ukraine. These drones are designed to cause even more destruction and are even harder to shoot down. CBC's Briar Stewart explains.
New York Times
7 hours ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Zelensky's Government Takes Aim at Corruption Fighters
Volodymyr Zelensky was elected president of Ukraine in 2019, partly on a promise to root out systemic corruption. But now critics say his government is trying to undermine some of Ukraine's most important anti-corruption organizations as they pursue investigations into his administration. One of Ukraine's most prominent anti-corruption advocates and a frequent critic of the Zelensky administration, Vitalii Shabunin, was accused in a court proceeding last week of evading military service and fraud. He has denied the accusation, which his many domestic and international defenders say lacks merit. If convicted, he could face a decade in prison. On Monday, even as the country came under yet another large-scale bombardment in its grueling war with Russia, Ukrainian security agencies directed dozens of raids on Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Special Anticorruption Prosecutor, saying that Russian intelligence had infiltrated the organizations. And on Tuesday, the Ukrainian Parliament, which Mr. Zelensky's party controls, passed a law that — if signed by the president — would give Ukraine's prosecutor general, who was appointed by Mr. Zelensky, new powers over investigations by the two agencies. Activists and analysts say these developments are part of a broader crackdown on independent media, government oversight agencies and other voices critical of Mr. Zelensky's administration. And they warn that the efforts threaten to dismantle years of hard-won democratic reforms. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Moldova's pro-Russian parties unite to seek September election win
CHISINAU (Reuters) -Four pro-Russian parties in Moldova said on Tuesday they will form a bloc in order to secure victory in September's parliamentary election and beat the current pro-European government. The vote, scheduled for September 28, could see President Maia Sandu's Party of Action and Solidarity unable to secure a majority in the ex-Soviet state lying between Ukraine and Romania. The bloc will merge the Party of Socialists, headed by former president Igor Dodon, the Heart of Moldova and Future of Moldova parties, as well as the Communist Party. "We are in favour of re-establishing strategic ties with Russia. We want peace, not war ... Our bloc will put an end to foreign interests and NATO," Dodon told a press conference as he introduced the new union. Sandu won re-election last year by a razor-thin margin over a Socialist challenger and a referendum asking voters to back the drive for EU membership only just cleared a 50% majority. On July 19, Moldova's election committee refused to register the bloc Victory, formed in 2024 and backed by pro-Kremlin fugitive oligarch Ilan Shor, for the vote. Moldovan officials have said that Shor has played a leading role in Russian-backed interference aimed at derailing Moldova's EU course. Shor denies the allegations and dismissed the decision as absurd. Solve the daily Crossword
