Author: Constant Méheut and Kim Barker
Published on: 05/12/2025 | 00:00:00
AI Summary:
A Times investigation found that President Volodymyr Zelensky’s own administration removed guardrails. Kyiv’s Western allies faced a dilemma: how to spend billions supporting a government fighting Russia without watching the money vanish into the pockets of corrupt managers and government officials. To protect their money, the United States and European nations insisted on oversight. Anti-corruption authorities have accused members of his inner circle of siphoning off and laundering $100 million from Energoatom. Mr. Zelensky’s administration has blamed Energatom’s supervisory board for failing to stop the corruption. But it was Mr. Zenski’s government itself that neutered EnerGeorgia’s board, The Times found. Contractors on Energoatom projects had to pay kickbacks of up to 15 percent, investigators say. Mr. Zelensky was elected in 2019 on a promise to eliminate graft. After Russia’s 2022 invasion, he relaxed anti-corruption rules in the name of speeding up weapons procurement and protecting military secrets. Ukrenergo’s board is made up of seven people who oversee major projects and executive appointments. The government picks the supervisory board members, but four are foreigners chosen from a shortlist made by the European Union and Western banks. The other three seats go to Ukrainian government representatives. The New York Times would like to hear from readers who want to share messages and materials with our journalists. Political pressure continued, Mr. Kudrytskyi said. Government officials accused him of failing to protect energy infrastructure. One foreign member had resigned for personal reasons and the government never filled the seat, leaving an even split between foreign experts and state representatives. Halushchenko wanted to buy two old Russian-designed nuclear reactors from Bulgaria. Energoatom counted on Western partners to help finance the $600 million project. Western donors and anti-corruption watchdogs immediately criticized the idea. Energoatom is considering new large long-term financial investments and liabilities. When Ukraine finalized the board in January, it kept Dr. Stone’s seat empty. The reactor deal is on hold and is not part of the graft investigation. Eight people, including Mr. Zelensky’s former business partner, are accused in that case. Defense Ministry pushed her to approve dubious contracts, including one with a state-owned weapons factory that could not effectively produce mortar shells. Under pressure, she signed off. Many shells failed to fire, prompting a public outcry in the fall of 2024. The board protested the meddling and renewed Ms. Bezrukova’s contract. The European Commission quietly commissioned a report into corruption risks in Ukraine’s energy industry. A copy of the report, obtained by The Times, warned of “persistent political interference” The report singled out Kyiv’s undermining of supervisory boards as a critical problem. Mr. Zelensky has tried to distance himself from the growing scandal. South Africans on the Front: The South African government is investigating how more than a dozen men unwittingly ended up fighting for Russia in Ukraine. A leaked conversation between the White House envoy Steve Witkoff and a senior Russian official suggests that President Trump is determined to make a deal to end the war in Ukraine, even if it is mostly on Russia’s terms. How We Verify Our Reporting Our team analyzes satellite images, photographs, videos and radio transmissions to independently confirm troop movements and
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