“We understand investigations are under way, and we have great respect for those investigations,” European Commission spokeswoman Paula Pinho said at a briefing in Brussels on Friday, November 28, commenting on searches carried out at the home of Andriy Yermak, head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO).
“These actions show that Ukraine’s anti-corruption bodies are doing their job,” Pinho stressed.
Guillaume Mercier, the Commission’s spokesperson for EU enlargement policy, agreed: “This shows that anti-corruption bodies do exist and can function.” Fighting corruption is a core condition for a country’s bid to join the European Union, Mercier noted. “It requires constant effort and strong mandates. This is a key element mentioned in our enlargement report published a few weeks ago,” he said, pledging to continue closely monitoring developments around anti-corruption investigations in Ukraine.
Ukrainian media, citing sources, report that Yermak, whose home was searched by anti-corruption authorities, has not been formally notified of suspicion. NABU and SAPO conducted the search under a ruling by an investigative judge of the High Anti-Corruption Court. The head of the Office of the President of Ukraine confirmed the search took place at his home and said he is cooperating with anti-corruption authorities. “There are no obstacles for investigators,” he emphasized.
Germany expects Ukraine’s authorities to wage “an absolutely consistent, tough fight against corruption in the country, and this remains one of the conditions for further progress on its path to the European Union... It is extremely important to see progress here,” deputy German government spokesman Steffen Meyer said in response to a question from DW. “This is not a trivial matter. For us, it is a matter of utmost seriousness,” he stressed, adding that the German government, led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, regularly discusses anti-corruption efforts with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and “with responsible institutions, including at the European Union level.”
At the same time, Meyer made clear that Germany’s support for Ukraine in the face of Russia’s ongoing war of aggression remains in place and is not in question despite the corruption scandal. “Ukraine can be confident of our support,” the deputy spokesman said. “Ukraine is defending itself every day against brutal Russian aggression: we see bombs continue to fall daily, including on civilian targets. For several years this has occupied us with the utmost seriousness, and all our political efforts are aimed at ending this war so that Ukraine has a future as an independent state. That is where all our attention is focused,” he added.
On November 10, NABU and SAPO said they had uncovered a large-scale corruption scheme involving the state-owned company Energoatom. At the center of the scandal are Ukrainian ministers, as well as longtime Zelensky ally Timur Mindich and financier Oleksandr Zuckerman. Law enforcement conducted searches the same day at Mindich’s residence, at Energoatom, and at the home of Ukraine’s Justice Minister Herman Halushchenko. Mindich had left Ukraine shortly beforehand.
On November 12, Zelensky called for the dismissal of Halushchenko - who had been suspended two days earlier—and Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk. On November 19, the Verkhovna Rada voted to dismiss both ministers. Zelensky also imposed sanctions on Mindich and Zuckerman.
