Graft poses tough test to Ukraine's accession to EU

About one year after the Russia-Ukraine conflict broke out, Ukraine started inching closer to the West with the sides accelerating Kyiv's accession to the European Union. But to join the EU, Ukraine had to launch a silent but tough battle against corruption following a spate of corruption cases involving misappropriation of funds.

The anti-corruption fight was launched around the time the 24th Ukraine-EU summit was held. To join the EU, the Ukrainian government has to meet the seven major rectification requirements proposed by the European bloc, among which eradicating corruption, stopping money laundering and improving the legal system are top priorities. Fighting corruption is a major focus of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, but it is difficult to eradicate corruption during a military conflict.

Despite Zelensky's goal of uniting the Ukrainian people to seek accession to the EU and the seemingly fruitful results so far, eradicating corruption in Ukraine is an uphill battle that cannot be won overnight. The history of deep-rooted corruption in Ukraine can be traced back to the 1990s. After the Soviet Union disintegrated and the planned economic system collapsed, the introduction of market economy led to financial speculation and rampant corruption.

And thanks to the rampant corruption, oligarchs entered Ukrainian politics. As a result, corruption turned into a chronic disease in Ukraine. Since then, officials, parliamentarians and oligarchs have joined hands to embezzle huge amounts of national wealth. As early as 2013, according to the Forbes Rich List, the total assets of the top 100 rich Ukrainians were about $130 billion, accounting for 80 percent of Ukraine's GDP.

After the "Orange Revolution", Ukraine witnessed the "Revolution of Dignity" when a number of anti-corruption campaigns were carried out. But all of them hit impassable hurdles thanks to the nexus among officials, parliamentarians and oligarchs.

Corruption cannot be eradicated overnight in any country, Ukraine included. With the Russia-Ukraine conflict deadlocked, many Ukrainian officials and opulent individuals have trampled on national interests, embezzling military funds and weapons to fill their own coffers. The fight against corruption is not only an important test Zelensky has to pass to ensure Ukraine's entry into the EU, but also presents an important opportunity for him to show his governance capability.

With the Russia-Ukraine conflict turning into a tug-of-war, people are exhausted both physically and mentally. As such, the anti-corruption campaign has given a shot in the arm for Zelensky, energizing him to seek more help from the West to prolong the conflict and use the time to solve the domestic problems.

Since the outbreak of the conflict, there has been widespread speculation on whether Ukraine can join the EU. But apart from geographical factors, the rampant corruption in Ukraine and terrible economic condition remain two major obstacles to Ukraine's accession into the EU.

Zelensky hopes to win the EU's approval by delivering on the anti-corruption campaign, and the EU has responded positively to it.

The conflict has become an unbearable burden for Kyiv, to ease it, Ukraine desperately needs military and economic assistance from NATO. Zelensky hopes to win the battle against corruption to prove that Ukraine is trustworthy, and is expected to use all the funds recovered through the anti-corruption campaign to reconstruct the country, so as to dispel the West's doubts and get more financial assistance. The pressure on the treasury could also be relieved if the assets of anti-Zelensky oligarchs can be liquidated.

True, the anti-corruption campaign, if successful, will prove Zelensky's governance ability, but it could also endanger his political career.

While the oligarchs have infiltrated and corrupted Ukraine's politics, they have also formed massive interest groups thanks to the Western capital they have accumulated.

It's testing time to see if Zelensky is brave enough to truly promote the anti-corruption campaign.

Liu Zixuan is an associate researcher at the Institute for Studies on the Mediterranean Rim at Zhejiang International Studies University; and Ma Xiaolin is the president of and a professor at the same institute. The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

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