Ukrainian MP: West must shoulder its share of responsibility for corruption in Ukraine
Western countries are a little dishonest when they blame rampant corruption solely on Ukraine because they often themselves provide cover for Ukrainian oligarchs and other super-rich, as stated by a member of the Verkhovna Rada (Parliament of Ukraine), Hanna Hopko, to LB.ua.
“When our western partners reprimand us and point to Ukrainian oligarchs who continue to hold a strong grip on the country, in particular, on the energy sector, I always ask: aren’t they often citizens of EU countries? They simply buy passports that you issue to them. Why don’t you inquire about the sources of income of those super-rich people and all their property they own in your countries? After all, you are financially unconstrained to conduct such checks,” Hopko said.
The MP pointed out that even when the Revolution of Dignity was on full display, Ukrainian top politicians such as Azarov, Klyuyev, and others like them bought estates in Austria and nobody pressed them to reveal the source of their income and never inquired how a statesman, an incumbent, has amassed a fortune. “But if they were banned from the civilized world, deprived of the opportunity to buy the loyalty of European politicians, then reformers in Ukraine would feel much better that the West really supports them, not only sets requirements. The fight against corruption must be a two way street,” Hopko said.
Commenting on the EU’s frustration with the slow pace of validating electronic declarations filed by Ukrainian top politicians, Hopko said the new anticorruption bodies created in Ukraine after the Revolution of Dignity were under pressure from different sides in a concerted discrediting campaign.
“Fighting corruption must start from the top down, from checking income declarations submitted by members of Parliament, top officials, and high ranking statesmen. The first results were supposed to show the efficiency of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and to set a trend. But the National Agency for Prevention of Corruption [responsible for checking the declarations] was simply overwhelmed with 1.5 million declarations that poured in from members of small local councils who are no match to big fish who steal millions,” Hopko said, adding that “that was exactly the intention.”