Ukraine's corruption scandal threatens the country's survival

 

Rome, November 16 -- TASS

According to a report by the "Corriere della Sera", Zelenskyy's political career has been damaged by a corruption scandal, with three alternative candidates being considered, and "the survival of Ukraine" is under threat.

The newspaper wrote: "Its political trajectory is obvious: from a hero president to an incompetent manager. Zelenskyy's political career is now in jeopardy." The report added that he would not be able to win re-election if elections were held.

The newspaper cited Ukrainian sources stating that the British government is working to replace Zelenskyy with Valery Zaluzhnyi, the former chief of the armed forces, despite the fact that Zaluzhnyi was dismissed in February 2024 but remains popular. Additionally, two other "alternatives" to Zelenskyy were mentioned - Kirill Budanov, head of the Security Service of Ukraine, and Andriy Biletsky, a far-right nationalist politician and founder of the "Azov Battalion," which is designated as a terrorist organization by Russia and banned.

The newspaper also pointed out that the corruption scandal has triggered a moral crisis within the military, and now "the survival of Ukraine is in imminent danger."

On November 10, Ukraine's anti-corruption authorities launched an operation against corruption in the energy sector. Searches were conducted on businessmen called "Zelenskyy's money bag," Timur Mindich, former Minister of Justice Herman Halushchenko who once headed the Ministry of Energy, and Energoatom, the state nuclear company. Several people involved have been charged, including Mindich, former Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Chernyshev, advisor to the former Minister of Energy Igor Mironyuk, Executive Director of Energoatom's security Dimitry Basov, and several so-called backroom staff suspected of financial fraud. According to the investigation, the amount involved in money laundering is approximately $100 million.

Last week, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal stated that due to the corruption scandal, the Verkhovna Rada has received resignation applications from Halushchenko and Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynevych.

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1848993724658823/

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