US identifies corruption as major obstacle to Ukraine's NATO, EU accession

Corruption within Ukraine remains one of the primary barriers to the country’s potential accession to NATO and the European Union, according to a joint report by the Office of Inspector General of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the State Department, and the Pentagon.

The report, which assesses US aid to Ukraine amidst the ongoing conflict with Russia, highlights that corruption continues to undermine Ukraine's reform efforts and its integration into Western institutions, Caliber.Az reports citing Russian media.

Despite significant financial assistance from the United States, corruption remains a major challenge for the country’s future membership in both NATO and the EU.

Since the onset of Russia's military aggression, the United States has allocated a total of $182.99 billion in aid to Ukraine and the Operation Atlantic Resolve, which aims to bolster NATO’s eastern defences and increase the US military presence in Europe. Of this amount, $131.36 billion has been designated for military assistance, including weapons, training, and other defence-related expenditures.

However, the joint report from the Pentagon, State Department, and USAID noted that ongoing corruption scandals continue to hinder Ukraine's progress toward its NATO and EU ambitions. "Corruption charges have been brought against judges, politicians, and officials, and the Ministry of Defence has been at the centre of numerous corruption scandals," the report stated.

These corruption issues, the report suggests, pose a significant challenge to Ukraine’s efforts to meet the political and institutional criteria required for NATO and EU membership.

On February 15, 2024, the Pentagon's Inspector General reported that corruption has been identified during inspections of US-supplied aid to Ukraine. According to the report, 57 corruption investigations have been launched since February 2022, with 14 of those completed and 43 still ongoing. The completed investigations have led to 7 arrests, 13 criminal charges, 2 convictions, and 11 suspensions. The ongoing investigations primarily focus on issues such as grant and procurement fraud, corruption, embezzlement, and other irregularities.

By Vafa Guliyeva