Biden Admin Begs Ukraine To Get Serious About Cutting Corruption

The Biden administration is deeply concerned over corruption within Ukraine’s government and business sectors, according to documents obtained by Politico.

The Biden administration is pleading with Ukraine to root out corruption within its highest ranks and warns that already-strained western support will further decrease it if it doesn’t address the issue, Politico reported on Monday. The fears of corruption outlined in the private document are much more severe than the Biden administration has admitted publicly as it struggles to rally continued support for Ukraine’s war effort against Russia.

“Perceptions of high-level corruption… [could] undermine the Ukrainian public’s and foreign leaders’ confidence in the war-time government,” according to the documents obtained by Politico.

“There are some honest conversations happening behind the scenes,” a U.S. official with knowledge about Ukrainian policy anonymously told Politico.

Another U.S. official familiar with the matter said that future economic aid depends on Ukrainian leaders making “reforms to tackle corruption and make Ukraine a more attractive place for private investment,” according to Politico.

The document also outlines goals and objectives the U.S. has for Ukraine to improve itself; one element of that includes seeing Ukraine start independently producing its own military equipment and creating a “domestic defense industry capable of supporting core needs,” according to Politico.

The U.S. has thus far committed over $100 billion in total aid to Ukraine. The Biden administration has requested more funding, but Congress voted to reject the proposal in a 47-day government funding bill passed on Saturday.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.