(Adnkronos) – EU candidate Ukraine must rid itself of the stain of corruption if it wants greater credibility as a democracy, Italy said Monday after Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff and top peace negotiator Andriy Yermak stood down last week amid a spiralling embezzlement scandal that threatens to topple the government.
War-ravaged Ukraine “has been the victim of (Russia’s) aggression” and its independent institutions deserve credit for uncovering the vast multi-million dollar kickbacks scandal that has unfolded in the energy sector since July (following a 15-month investigation), foreign minister Antonio Tajani told Italy’s ‘Channel Five Morning’ TV programme.
“But this chapter must be closed if Ukraine wants to be more credible,” Tajani said.
“Ukraine must be determined to crush any further attempts at corruption within its institutions,” Tajani continued.
The current graft scandal, however “has nothing to do with the fact that Kiev has a right to independence and territorial integrity,” he said.
“Now we need to achieve peace,” Tajani underlined.
At a time when Ukraine is fighting and negotiating for its very survival amid Russia’s 45-month-long invasion, Yermak’s resignation on Friday is hugely destabilising, according to observers.
Ukraine’s defence Minister Rustem Umerov is heading a delegation that is due to continue talks in the United States on a US-drafted peace proposal, Zelensky’s office said on Saturday.
Yermak led talks last month with US secretary of state Marco Rubio in Geneva, apparently securing some concessions for his country in the US-drafted peace proposal which many feared heavily favoured Russia.
