The European Union renewed its warnings to Kyiv that it must continue to fight corruption in Ukraine if it is to realize its hopes of joining the bloc, following a huge graft scandal in the nation’s energy sector on Nov. 13.
While Guillaume Mercier, European Commission spokesperson for enlargement, international partnerships, and the Mediterranean, acknowledged that uncovering the alleged bribery scheme demonstrated Ukraine’s efforts to fight corruption are working, he also emphasized that a firmer grasp on the issue was vital for the country to ensure accession.
“This investigation shows that anti-corruption bodies are in place and functioning in Ukraine,” Mercier said in Brussels.
“Let me stress that the fight against corruption is key for a country to join the EU. It requires continuous efforts to guarantee a strong capacity to combat corruption and a respect for the rule of law.”
“The role of those independent anti-corruption bodies, which are cornerstone of Ukraine’s rule of law as a future member state must be safeguarded,” he continued, adding that the Commission, which acts as the EU’s executive branch, was closely monitoring the situation.
In the same press conference, the commission’s chief spokesperson, Paula Pinho, also confirmed that Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was in frequent contact with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Pressure was further applied by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who said that European concerns about corruption were discussed when he spoke with Zelenskyy by phone on Nov. 13.
“The Chancellor emphasized the German government’s expectation that Ukraine would vigorously pursue the fight against corruption and further reforms, particularly in the area of the rule of law,” a statement released by Merz’s office said.
In an X post on Nov. 14, Zelenskyy said he had discussed the corruption issue with Ukrainian Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko.
He said that Svyrydenko had reported to him on the launch of audit processes in state-owned companies and the pair “agreed that the audits must be conducted promptly, and all results must be forwarded to law enforcement and anti-corruption agencies for appropriate action.”
Zelenskyy added that personnel decisions within those companies would follow based on the findings of those audits and that Ukraine’s partners would be informed about those outcomes.
“Transparency in state-owned companies and the elimination of any schemes must be guaranteed,” he said.
The pair also discussed changes in the government, following the resignation of Ukraine’s ministers of energy and justice over the scandal, which centers on an alleged corruption scheme involving Energoatom, a state enterprise running all four of the country’s nuclear power plants.
According to Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau, Energoatom’s contractors have been forced to pay kickbacks and bribes to the scheme ring members in exchange for keeping their status as suppliers and for not blocking their products and services. Investigators alleged that roughly 100 million Ukrainian hryvnia, or about $2.3 million, was funneled through this system.
On Nov. 13, Zelenskyy signed a decree imposing sanctions on businessmen Timur Mindich and Oleksandr Tsukerman, who were both implicated in the scheme.
The bureau alleged that Mindich was the primary organizer of the scheme, while Tsukerman allegedly ran the “back office” responsible for laundering the illicit proceeds. Mindich is a co-owner of Kvartal 95 Studio, the production company behind Zelenskyy’s hit TV series “Servant of the People.”
The bureau also released audio recordings in which members of the group, speaking in code and using encrypted terminology, allegedly discussed bribes and kickback arrangements connected to Energoatom.
The scandal has implicated several prominent figures in the Zelenskyy administration, including former Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Chernyshov, Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk, Justice Minister Herman Halushchenko, and former Defense Minister and current National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov.
On Nov. 12, both Halushchenko and Hrynchuk submitted their resignations, a day after Zelenskyy demanded that they step down and called corruption in the energy sector “absolutely abnormal” during wartime.
The case has sparked public outrage as millions of Ukrainians face rolling blackouts and heating shortages in the winter due to Russia’s relentless bombardment of Ukraine’s energy sites
Bill Pan contributed to this report.
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