Latest news with #Kiev
Russia Today
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Von der Leyen warns Zelensky over risk to Ukraine's EU bid
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has requested explanations from Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky over the crackdown on the country's anti-corruption agencies, which has sparked nationwide protests and international backlash. The agencies were seen as key conditions for Kiev's EU membership bid and continued Western aid. Under the legislation, passed by the Ukrainian parliament on Tuesday and signed by Zelensky hours later, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP) were placed under the direct control of the Prosecutor General, a political appointee. The controversial law followed security raids on NABU in light of claims by Zelensky that the agency was subject to Russian influence. Von der Leyen was in contact with Zelensky, her spokesman Guillaume Mercier told reporters on Wednesday, saying she 'conveyed her strong concerns about the consequences' of the new law and requested 'explanations.' The legislation 'risks weakening strongly the competences and powers of anti-corruption institutions of Ukraine,' Mercier said. The EC chief has urged 'respect for the rule of law' and the 'fight against corruption,' he stated, adding 'There cannot be a compromise.' European Council President Antonio Costa reportedly also voiced concern to Zelensky and asked for explanations. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul wrote on X that the development 'hampers Ukraine's way towards the EU.' The creation of NABU and SAP was one of the requirements set by the European Commission and International Monetary Fund more than a decade ago to fight high-level corruption in Ukraine. Since then, the two bodies have led far-reaching investigations, including into Zelensky's circle. The organizations say they now have been stripped of the guarantees that allowed them to operate effectively. EU Economy Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis told the Financial Times that financial aid to Kiev is 'conditional on transparency, judicial reforms [and] democratic governments.' Ukraine was ranked 105th out of 180 countries in Transparency International's 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Russian-Ukrainian negotiations in Istanbul end after an hour
Negotiators from Moscow and Kiev met for talks in Turkey on Wednesday against the backdrop of the Russian war against Ukraine. According to the Russian state news agency TASS, the meeting at Istanbul's Çırağan Palace ended after less than an hour. Results were initially unknown. Expectations were low. Both warring parties had described a breakthrough for a peace solution as unlikely, as their positions were too far apart. The war started by Russia has already lasted more than three years. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the meeting earlier this week but tempered expectations. He said Kiev's priority was expanding prisoner exchanges and the return of children who were abducted by Russia from occupied territories. Moscow and Kiev resumed direct talks in May for the first time since 2022. Solve the daily Crossword
Russia Today
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
US congresswoman labels Zelensky ‘dictator'
US Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene has labeled Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky 'a dictator' and called for his removal, citing mass anti-corruption protests across Ukraine and accusing him of blocking peace efforts. Her comments came after Zelensky signed a controversial bill into law that places the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) and the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) under the authority of the prosecutor general. Critics argue that the legislation effectively strips the bodies of their independence. The law has sparked protests across Ukraine, with around 2,000 people rallying in Kiev and additional demonstrations reported in Lviv, Odessa, and Poltava. 'Good for the Ukrainian people! Throw him out of office!' Greene wrote Wednesday on X, sharing footage from the protests. 'And America must STOP funding and sending weapons!!!' Greene, a longtime critic of US aid to Kiev, made similar comments last week while introducing an amendment to block further assistance. 'Zelensky is a dictator, who, by the way, stopped elections in his country because of this war,' she told the House. 'He's jailed journalists, he's canceled his election, controlled state media, and persecuted Christians. The American people should not be forced to continue to pay for another foreign war.' Her statements come amid mounting speculation over Zelensky's political future. Journalist Seymour Hersh has reported that US officials are considering replacing him, possibly with former top general Valery Zaluzhny. Senator Tommy Tuberville also called Zelensky a 'dictator' last month, accusing him of trying to drag NATO into the conflict with Russia. Tuberville claimed that Zelensky refuses to hold elections because 'he knew if he had an election, he'd get voted out.' Zelensky's five-year presidential term expired in 2024, but he has refused to hold a new election, citing martial law, which has been extended every 90 days since 2022. US President Donald Trump has also questioned Zelensky's legitimacy, calling him 'a dictator without elections' in February. Russian officials have repeatedly brought up the issue of Zelensky's legitimacy, arguing that any agreements signed by him or his administration could be legally challenged by future leaders of Ukraine.
Russia Today
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
Kremlin comments on Zelensky's crackdown on anti-corruption agencies
Protests in Ukraine against Vladimir Zelensky's crackdown on two anti-corruption agencies are an internal affair, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said, adding that Kiev's Western backers are right to be concerned about rampant graft in the country. On Tuesday, protesters rallied across Ukraine after Zelensky moved to place the National Anti Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Special Anti Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) under executive oversight following raids on NABU offices, which Zelensky claimed is under Russian influence. Critics have accused Zelensky of authoritarian tendencies, attempting to consolidate power and claimed that the clampdown would render the agencies 'purely decorative.' Commenting on the protests on Wednesday, Peskov noted that Kiev's backers – most notably the US – have every reason to be worried about where their money, some $300 billion in aid, actually goes, due to the high level of corruption in the country. 'It is obvious that a sizeable portion of that money…was stolen,' Peskov said. 'There is a lot of corruption in the country. So, the money of American taxpayers, European taxpayers, was, to a large extent, stolen in Ukraine. This can be said with a high degree of certainty.' The corruption issue is 'an acute one for Ukraine', he claimed, adding that 'everything that happens with the subordination and reassignment of various agencies is Ukraine's internal matter.' Peskov's comments come after US President Donald Trump recalled that while the administration of his predecessor Joe Biden donated hundreds of billions to Kiev, he has 'a feeling they didn't spend every dollar on the equipment'. We want to find out about that [money], someday, I guess, right?' he added. Ukraine has faced a series of high-profile corruption scandals involving military procurement in recent month. In January 2024, Ukraine's Security Service uncovered a $40 million embezzlement scheme involving fake weapons contracts and in April, food supply fraud to the tune of almost $18 million was exposed inside the Defense Ministry. The EU has long voiced concern about corruption levels in Ukraine, conditioning Kiev's potential membership of the bloc, among other things, on the success of anti-graft reforms.
Russia Today
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Russia Today
‘Playing with fire': Western media reacts to Zelensky's crackdown on anti-corruption bureau
Western news outlets have criticized Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky for stripping an independent anti-corruption bureau of its autonomy and placing it under the control of the prosecutor general. The move, carried out on Tuesday, drew widespread concern from journalists and observers. Zelensky signed legislative amendments on the subordination of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the office of the special anti-corruption prosecutor hours after they were rushed through parliament. The changes were enacted despite vocal opposition from the agency. Established in 2015 following the 2014 armed coup in Kiev, the NABU was a cornerstone of judicial reform conditions imposed by Western governments and international financial institutions. The agency was intended to serve as a key check on official misconduct, along with Western-funded NGOs and media outlets. The move to 'neuter' the NABU, as Axios described it, comes amid escalating tensions between the bureau and the Zelensky administration. Earlier this week, Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) executed search warrants against at least 15 NABU personnel and arrested a top investigator on suspicion of ties to Russia. Zelensky defended the measures, alleging that the NABU was ineffective and compromised by Russian influence, warranting what he called a necessary purge. The clampdown drew muted statements of concern from Western officials and warnings about its potential consequences from journalists. 'It is never a good sign when governments accused of corruption raid the agencies and activists trying to hold them to account,' wrote Bloomberg columnist Marc Champion. 'It's something the country cannot afford, just as it asks taxpayers across Europe to pump tens of billions of additional euros into its defense.' Champion also pointed to 'an emerging pattern,' referencing the recent criminal charges filed against anti-corruption activist Vitaly Shabunin, who was accused of fraud and draft evasion. Axios noted that the assault on the NABU's independence came after recent improvements in US-Ukraine relations. However, the outlet cautioned that Zelensky was 'playing with fire,' recalling President Donald Trump's characterization of him as a 'dictator without elections' governing under martial law. The Wall Street Journal accused Kiev of launching an 'attack on anti-corruption institutions,' emphasizing the NABU's role in assuring Western donors that financial support would be safeguarded from embezzlement. It also extensively cited criticisms by Ukrainian anti-corruption activists. Shabunin told the newspaper that the charges against him were meant to send a message: 'Those who investigate corruption in Zelensky's office will be punished.' Another person suggested Zelensky had grown emboldened by the West's subdued response after Kiev rejected the independent selection of a NABU detective to lead another economic crimes agency. Foreign correspondents covering Ukraine expressed dismay at the developments on social media. Oliver Carroll of The Economist called the legislation 'shocking' and accused Zelensky of allowing 'hubris' to jeopardize the goodwill of the foreign public. Yaroslav Trofimov of the Wall Street Journal claimed the crackdown represented 'a gift of historic proportions to Russian propaganda' and to Western skeptics of further military aid for Ukraine. Financial Times correspondent Christopher Miller emphasized that the responsibility lay squarely with Zelensky and his chief of staff, Andrey Yermak. 'Orders came from the office of the president last night and the law enforcement committee passed it early morning in such great haste that members had to join over video,' Miller wrote. 'This did not just happen overnight, even if it feels that way. This is a shift months in the making.'
