Latest news with #Tymoshenko
AllAfrica
08-08-2025
- Politics
- AllAfrica
Is West's corruption fight in Ukraine veering into colonialism?
Ukraine's former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko recently called for an end to what she called the Western 'colonial model' of interference in Ukraine's domestic politics. In a speech to the Ukrainian parliament in July, she welcomed the passage of a law bringing two anti-corruption bodies under greater government control (which led to protests across the country and eventually government backtracking). She described it as the first step towards the restoration of the country's sovereignty and called for lawmakers to go further. Tymoshenko was referring to the role played by foreigners – mainly representatives of Western donors supporting Ukraine's political reforms – in approving appointments to key Ukrainian state institutions. This practice is one of the measures that Ukraine has introduced to tackle corruption. Its purpose is to introduce external scrutiny to ensure the independence of the organisations and especially the judges who deal with allegations of corruption. One example of this is the Ethics Council. Created in 2021 by a law passed by Ukraine's parliament, it is composed of six members: three Ukrainians and three foreigners. The council vets nominations for the High Council of Justice (HCJ), which is the most important institution in Ukraine's judiciary. The HCJ not only appoints judges but also makes decisions on their suspension and arrest when they are accused of wrongdoing. While the membership of the Ethics Council is equally divided between Ukrainian and foreign members, in practice, the votes of the foreigners are weighted more heavily than those of the Ukrainians. This means that its foreign members can veto any nomination that comes before the council. At first glance, Tymoshenko's critique of this type of international oversight seems reasonable. Why should a sovereign state subject its own internal processes – especially processes of such sensitivity as judicial appointments – to close scrutiny by foreign citizens? In a recent interview with the Times newspaper, Tymoshenko elaborated on her speech, arguing that these measures exist because of pressure from Western governments and international organisations. She also pointed to 'threats' to withdraw support, especially financial support, if Ukraine does not comply. Ukraine's international donors have certainly made it clear that they expect Kyiv to undertake judicial reform and other meaningful measures to tackle corruption. The International Monetary Fund routinely reviews Ukraine's progress in these areas when it decides whether to release of the next tranche of funding. Since the start of Russia's full- scale invasion in 2022, Ukraine has received approximately US$12.8 billion from the IMF. Ukraine's former prime minister argues that there's too much Western involvement in domestic affairs in her country. Similarly, the European Union has made addressing corruption and ensuring the independence of the judiciary key conditions for Ukraine to progress towards full EU membership. Volodymyr Zelensky's government cannot afford to risk losing the money Ukraine receives from international donors such as the IMF, which helps to keep the country's economy functioning while it is at war. Neither can he afford to ignore the requirements of EU membership. Joining the European Union is a goal that Zelensky has championed for Ukraine. It is also very popular among Ukrainians. According to a May 2024 opinion survey, 90% of Ukrainians would like to see Ukraine join the EU by 2030. But Western pressure is not the only reason for foreign oversight of key institutions and processes in Ukraine. It is a step that has received strong support from Ukrainian civil society. The Dejure Foundation, a Ukrainian legal organization that promotes the rule of law and judicial reform, regards the involvement of international experts as essential to ensure a professional and independent legal system. External scrutiny is also regarded as a way of increasing public trust in the judiciary. A December 2024 opinion poll found that only 12% of Ukrainians trust the courts, mainly because of perceptions that judges are corrupt. To be sure, the involvement of foreign experts is not a magic bullet. Even supporters of the measure claim that foreigners lack the knowledge of the local context and can be manipulated into supporting bad decisions. But supporters argue that international scrutiny should be supplemented by greater involvement of Ukrainian civil society organisations, not removed. The issue of corruption and how to address it remains a live one in Ukraine, and has no straightforward solution. The introduction of international legal experts into the process of scrutinising key appointments has not eliminated the problem or restored public faith in the judiciary. Zelensky and his government are coming under increasing pressure from Tymoshenko and her supporters' attempts to make political capital out of the issue. In particular, her call to remove foreigners from these roles and replace them with war veterans is a clear appeal to nationalist sentiment. On the other hand, Ukrainians do not seem to object to meeting the requirements of Western organizations. More than 70% of Ukrainians surveyed in 2023 agreed that it was right that the EU should require political reforms before opening negotiations for Ukraine's accession. Moreover, protests erupted in July in cities across Ukraine against the legislation that would have brought Ukraine's national anti-corruption bodies under the direct control of the government-appointed prosecutor general. Zelensky has now submitted a new bill to reinstate the agencies' independence. These demonstrations revealed a strength of feeling against any dilution of the independence of those who are charged with dealing with corruption. This suggests that Tymoshenko may not gain much traction in any attempts to dismantle existing systems, however imperfect they may be. Jennifer Mathers, Senior Lecturer in International Politics, Aberystwyth University This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Time of India
06-08-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Ukraine Ex-PM Accuses West Of Hijacking Kyiv's Institutions,; ‘Unacceptable, Cruel, Unjust'
/ Aug 06, 2025, 11:49AM IST Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has accused the U.S. and EU of exerting alarming levels of control over Ukraine's government, judicial system, and anti-corruption agencies. In a blistering interview with The Times, she claims Western powers are using the war with Russia as a pretext to override Ukraine's sovereignty. Tymoshenko warns that Kyiv is being turned into a "disenfranchised colony" as Western-appointed officials gain veto power over key institutions. She also called on the West to redirect such oversight toward failed states — not Ukraine — and backed Zelensky's now-scrapped attempt to rein in Western-backed agencies.#Ukraine #Tymoshenko #WestVsUkraine #KyivControl #Geopolitics #USInfluence #SovereigntyCrisis #Zelensky #RussiaUkraineWar #BreakingNews
Hindustan Times
01-08-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
How a Youth-Led Backlash Pushed Zelensky to His Biggest U-Turn Yet
KYIV—Anton Tymoshenko, a popular Ukrainian comedian, pressed into the protest crowd here last week holding a speaker above his head playing the voice of another humorist—the one who is now Ukraine's president. If you encounter corruption, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in the 2019 message playing on Tymoshenko's speaker, call the National Anticorruption Bureau of Ukraine. Zelensky's stripping of power from NABU last week set off the biggest protests in Ukraine since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, sending thousands to the streets and lifting the lid on discontent that had been simmering for months despite broad support for his role as a wartime leader. Two days after signing a bill bringing anticorruption institutions including NABU under the control of a prosecutor appointed by the president, Zelensky reversed course, proposing a new bill restoring their independence. Zelensky signed it into law Thursday after Parliament overwhelmingly voted to pass it. The session reflected the commotion of the moment, with two lawmakers scuffling and one holding up his middle finger during a speech. Hundreds of protesters gathered in Kyiv to support the reinstatement of anticorruption powers watched the livestream on their phones, booing some and letting out a cheer when the law passed. 'It is very important that the state listens to public opinion,' said Zelensky in a video address after signing the law. 'Ukraine is a democracy—absolutely no doubt about it.' The swift reversal shows the enduring power of street politics in Ukraine, this time led by a chorus of youthful figures holding up cardboard signs with their acerbic demands. 'The main source of power in this country is people with cardboard signs,' said the 31-year-old Tymoshenko, whose popular live shows often poke fun at Ukrainian politics and society while raising funds for the army. The unrest comes at a difficult moment for Ukraine, which is slowly losing ground to Russia's grinding tactics at the front, while civilians experience drone-and-missiles attacks nearly every night. In Kyiv early Thursday, Russian air raids killed at least 14, including a 6-year-old boy, and injured more than 100, Zelensky said. Despite the bombardments, Kyivans have continued to gather with their cardboard signs. The protests of people like Tymoshenko and other Ukrainians—including veterans, service members and seasoned protesters—have turned the tables on Zelensky, whose election campaign presented him as an outsider crusading against corruption and authoritarianism. At issue is what anticorruption activists, opposition lawmakers and protesters see as the consolidation of power in the president's office. Besides the stripping of independence from anticorruption bodies by parliament, the Ukrainian government has declined to appoint a leader of the Economic Security Bureau, a law-enforcement agency investigating financial crimes. Anticorruption investigators have also faced mass searches. Guillaume Mercier, a spokesman for the European Union commission for enlargement, welcomed the bill's passage but said Ukraine still has many reforms to enact to make progress toward its aim of joining the EU. Those include appointing internationally-vetted judges to its constitutional court and appointing the head of the Economic Security Bureau. The controversies have dented Zelensky's popularity. His trust rating stood at 37% before the war, soaring to 90% immediately after and dipping to 65% in June, according to polling by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology. The crisis has animated Zelensky's opponents, including former top general Valeriy Zaluzhniy, former President Petro Poroshenko and Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, all of whom opposed the law. Zaluzhniy, widely considered to be Zelensky's most viable challenger should an election take place, was recently featured in a Ukrainian Vogue photo shoot and article, in which he nodded to a need for unity in the country. Former general Valeriy Zaluzhniy recently featured in a Ukrainian Vogue photo shoot. Still, there is no immediate threat to Zelensky even as he walks a tightrope between the actions of his government and the demands of his electorate. Zelensky and Andriy Yermak, the head of the president's office and a lightning rod for criticism, have said it was important for Ukrainians to feel as if they had been heard. Speaking to reporters last week, Zelensky said there should have been a dialogue before the law was enshrined. 'We all must listen to the people,' he said. 'I believe this is the most important thing. Because the main challenge is the war. And the most important thing in this war is the unity of our state. It is critical not to lose the unity.' Skepticism remains. Zelensky's image as a wartime leader who bravely remained in his country in the face of Russia's might has been marred by the issue, both at home and abroad. European partners have expressed concern and Ukrainians, too, are watching the president's moves closely, ready to return to the streets. Speaking at a protest last week, Dmytro Koziatynsky, a former battlefield medic who was among the first to call for Ukrainians to gather, said he asked for politicians to steer clear so that the protests remain apolitical. Those who came were shouted down and asked to leave. Dmytro Koziatynsky, a former medic, at a protest in Ivana Franka Square. The protesters who gathered took care to not tread on flower beds in Ivana Franka square, downhill from government quarters, even as the roughly 5,000 attendees spilled out onto adjoining streets. Protesters spoke of their pride in Ukraine as a country of peaceful dissent despite the war, noting the two street revolutions that led to changes in power in the country since it declared independence in 1991. 'The real opposition in Ukraine has always been the people,' said Koziatynsky. 'And it is precisely the people who control the authorities and don't let them slide into either authoritarianism or something similarly inadequate.' How a Youth-Led Backlash Pushed Zelensky to His Biggest U-Turn Yet
Mint
01-08-2025
- Politics
- Mint
How a youth-led backlash pushed Zelensky to his biggest U-turn yet
Anton Tymoshenko, a popular Ukrainian comedian, pressed into the protest crowd here last week holding a speaker above his head playing the voice of another humorist—the one who is now Ukraine's president. If you encounter corruption, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in the 2019 message playing on Tymoshenko's speaker, call the National Anticorruption Bureau of Ukraine. Zelensky's stripping of power from NABU last week set off the biggest protests in Ukraine since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, sending thousands to the streets and lifting the lid on discontent that had been simmering for months despite broad support for his role as a wartime leader. Two days after signing a bill bringing anticorruption institutions including NABU under the control of a prosecutor appointed by the president, Zelensky reversed course, proposing a new bill restoring their independence. Zelensky signed it into law Thursday after Parliament overwhelmingly voted to pass it. The session reflected the commotion of the moment, with two lawmakers scuffling and one holding up his middle finger during a speech. Hundreds of protesters gathered in Kyiv to support the reinstatement of anticorruption powers watched the livestream on their phones, booing some and letting out a cheer when the law passed. 'It is very important that the state listens to public opinion," said Zelensky in a video address after signing the law. 'Ukraine is a democracy—absolutely no doubt about it." The swift reversal shows the enduring power of street politics in Ukraine, this time led by a chorus of youthful figures holding up cardboard signs with their acerbic demands. 'The main source of power in this country is people with cardboard signs," said the 31-year-old Tymoshenko, whose popular live shows often poke fun at Ukrainian politics and society while raising funds for the army. The unrest comes at a difficult moment for Ukraine, which is slowly losing ground to Russia's grinding tactics at the front, while civilians experience drone-and-missiles attacks nearly every night. In Kyiv early Thursday, Russian air raids killed at least 14, including a 6-year-old boy, and injured more than 100, Zelensky said. Despite the bombardments, Kyivans have continued to gather with their cardboard signs. The protests of people like Tymoshenko and other Ukrainians—including veterans, service members and seasoned protesters—have turned the tables on Zelensky, whose election campaign presented him as an outsider crusading against corruption and authoritarianism. At issue is what anticorruption activists, opposition lawmakers and protesters see as the consolidation of power in the president's office. Besides the stripping of independence from anticorruption bodies by parliament, the Ukrainian government has declined to appoint a leader of the Economic Security Bureau, a law-enforcement agency investigating financial crimes. Anticorruption investigators have also faced mass searches. Guillaume Mercier, a spokesman for the European Union commission for enlargement, welcomed the bill's passage but said Ukraine still has many reforms to enact to make progress toward its aim of joining the EU. Those include appointing internationally-vetted judges to its constitutional court and appointing the head of the Economic Security Bureau. The controversies have dented Zelensky's popularity. His trust rating stood at 37% before the war, soaring to 90% immediately after and dipping to 65% in June, according to polling by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology. The crisis has animated Zelensky's opponents, including former top general Valeriy Zaluzhniy, former President Petro Poroshenko and Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, all of whom opposed the law. Zaluzhniy, widely considered to be Zelensky's most viable challenger should an election take place, was recently featured in a Ukrainian Vogue photo shoot and article, in which he nodded to a need for unity in the country. Former general Valeriy Zaluzhniy recently featured in a Ukrainian Vogue photo shoot. Still, there is no immediate threat to Zelensky even as he walks a tightrope between the actions of his government and the demands of his electorate. Zelensky and Andriy Yermak, the head of the president's office and a lightning rod for criticism, have said it was important for Ukrainians to feel as if they had been heard. Speaking to reporters last week, Zelensky said there should have been a dialogue before the law was enshrined. 'We all must listen to the people," he said. 'I believe this is the most important thing. Because the main challenge is the war. And the most important thing in this war is the unity of our state. It is critical not to lose the unity." Skepticism remains. Zelensky's image as a wartime leader who bravely remained in his country in the face of Russia's might has been marred by the issue, both at home and abroad. European partners have expressed concern and Ukrainians, too, are watching the president's moves closely, ready to return to the streets. Speaking at a protest last week, Dmytro Koziatynsky, a former battlefield medic who was among the first to call for Ukrainians to gather, said he asked for politicians to steer clear so that the protests remain apolitical. Those who came were shouted down and asked to leave. Dmytro Koziatynsky, a former medic, at a protest in Ivana Franka Square. The protesters who gathered took care to not tread on flower beds in Ivana Franka square, downhill from government quarters, even as the roughly 5,000 attendees spilled out onto adjoining streets. Protesters spoke of their pride in Ukraine as a country of peaceful dissent despite the war, noting the two street revolutions that led to changes in power in the country since it declared independence in 1991. 'The real opposition in Ukraine has always been the people," said Koziatynsky. 'And it is precisely the people who control the authorities and don't let them slide into either authoritarianism or something similarly inadequate."
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Zelenskyy's political opponents respond to reports of secret talks with Trump's team
Yuliia Tymoshenko, leader of Ukraine's Batkivshchyna party, and Petro Poroshenko, former Ukrainian president and leader of Ukraine's European Solidarity party, have commented on a Politico report alleging that they held secret talks with members of US President Donald Trump's team. Both politicians stated that they are opposed to elections being held before peace is achieved. Source: Tymoshenko on Facebook; Poroshenko on Facebook Quote from Tymoshenko: "Ukraine, as President Zelenskyy has clearly stated, is ready for negotiations to end the war under strong leadership from President Trump. The Batkivshchyna team holds talks with all our allies who can help ensure a just peace as soon as possible." Details: Tymoshenko said "holding any elections in Ukraine is out of the question" until the war is over. Poroshenko stated in his post that his party is working publicly and transparently with American partners to maintain bipartisan support for Ukraine. "We have repeatedly offered to coordinate these meetings with the authorities, even suggesting inviting the ambassador. We have also repeatedly stated publicly that there is a lack of communication between the government team and the US administration, which poses a risk to the state," Poroshenko noted. Poroshenko said that discussions with American representatives have always centred around two principles: security first and peace through strength. They have covered weapons, intelligence, sanctions against Russia, financial support, democratic resilience (freedom and democracy) and transatlantic unity. Quote from Poroshenko: "Our team has always been and remains categorically against elections during the war. Unlike the authorities, who divert funds from the army and try to buy votes while also using unconstitutional and extrajudicial sanctions to eliminate their political opponents – this amounts to politically motivated persecution and pre-election preparations. We have said and we continue to say that elections are only possible after a ceasefire and the signing of a peace agreement with security guarantees for Ukraine. After that, martial law will obviously end, and no later than 180 days thereafter, free and democratic elections must take place in the country to ensure the citizens' will and the trust of the free world." Background: Politico has reported that four senior associates of US President Donald Trump held secret talks with Yuliia Tymoshenko and Petro Poroshenko at a time when Washington and Moscow were aligning in their efforts to remove President Zelenskyy from office. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
