Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been embroiled in a massive corruption scandal that threatens to undo his grip on power and tarnish the anti-corruption image he ran on.
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine is probing into Timur Mindich, Zelenskyy’s business partner who allegedly laundered $100 million from Ukraine’s nuclear energy company and other fraudulent activities, according to the New York Times on Friday. So far, Zelenskyy has not been directly implicated in the investigation, but has taken action to curtail the independence of corruption investigators.
Ukraine is still being rocked by Russian strikes on critical infrastructure, while Russian President Vladimir Putin has shown little appetite for peace negotiations.
Two government ministers assigned to the corruption case resigned at Zelenskyy’s request, while Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko has requested sanctions on Mindich, who fled the nation on Monday before investigators searched his home.
Ukrainian opposition party European Solidarity have called for a vote of no-confidence to remove Zelenskyy from power, according to the NYT. The allegations involving the nuclear energy company are especially poignant to Ukrainians who suffer from regular blackouts amid Russian strikes.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
Zelenskyy has publicly called for the prosecution of those involved despite their proximity to the president. Mindich allegedly held great sway behind the scenes of Zelenskyy’s government, with the opposition party regularly accusing the magnate of pulling the strings of Zelenskyy’s cabinet appointments.
The Ukrainian president has enjoyed a lionized reputation amid the war with Russia, and initially ran on an anti-corruption platform in the 2019 elections. Zelenskyy has been hailed by numerous Western leaders as a guardian of democracy against an autocratic Russia.
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