The war in Ukraine is a consistent topic of global interest that can be overheard throughout Drury’s student body. Recently, unclassified information has revealed that the Biden Administration is worrisome to Ukrainian corruption and its effects on the moral behind American funding. 

A recent report obtained by Politico indicates that the Biden administration is significantly more worried about Ukrainian corruption than they are reporting to the public. Many of the fears disclosed in the report are on the basis of ensuring fears of corruption do not spread throughout the masses as they may diminish the willingness to support the war efforts financially. Politico emphasizes the reports notable plans to encourage a self-driven Ukrainian removal of corrupted officials.

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has already fired several top defense officials in display of compliance with the Biden Administration’s encouragement. The report received by Politico is quoted stating, “reforms to tackle corruption and make Ukraine a more attractive place for private investment.” 

This is America’s means of ensuring their Ukraine has long struggled with corruption stemming from the vacuum of authority and power as a result of the collapse of the Soviet Union. 

An article on January 24 states, “Ukraine inherited widespread corruption following the fall of the Soviet Union, including within its judiciary, health care, and education systems.” It further explains that there has been a slow crawl to free itself from the generational corruption up until Zelenskyy’s firings. 

An interview with Drury University’s Professor Sergey Borodich, a Belarusian immigrant, has provided some historical reference regarding the collapse of the Soviet Union and the resulting growth of corruption in many Eastern Nations. “After collapse of the Soviet Union,” Borodin states, “many countries like Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, and Azerbaijan received a lot of money from oil, and became more independent but resultantly many officials became corrupt.” This was a time in which Ukraine was suffering from an immense vacuum of power and authority. 

The lack of an existing structure of responsibility allowed for self-interested individuals to utilize the vacuum of power to their own benefit. Borodich says, “Ukraine has mandatory military service, where many of the recruitment officials take bribes to skip over people who have not yet served.” He is confident that Zelenskyy and his immediate peers are all honorable and remain uncorrupted in their dealings with American aid. However, he is curious as to the integrity of the individuals beyond the eyes of the media.

“Ukraine is rather different from other former Soviet Union countries” he further explains. “They had a strong economic relation with Russia during Soviet Union. They have had a democracy ever since. Every new President claims the old one was corrupt.” 

Ukraine has officially had 5 different Presidents since Leonid Kravchuk’s election in December of 1991. With the election of a new President, there appears to be a tradition of disowning the predecessor and promising an uncorrupted future.

Borodich says, “Very top official’s level of corruption [is] high, but President Zelenskyy is only able to control so many while his focus is on the war. What is going on in [the] second level? We [American taxpayers] do not know.” 

The incredible amount of funding that has been allocated to Ukraine is an obvious opportunity for nefarious individuals to capitalize upon. PBS has tallied a total of 76.8 billion in funding delivered to Ukraine as of July 31 of 2023, with 46.6 billion specified to the military, and a meager 3.9 billion in humanitarian aid. 

“Frankly speaking, I do not know how much money went the proper way. America is supposed to be little bit more careful how they spend their money,” Borodich believes, “I think, maybe not a bad idea, America maybe sends them [Ukraine] like 100 economic advisors just to control and to see what is going on there.” 

Borodich felt that perhaps the money that the Biden administration has sent in aid would be observed more effectively if the United States were to station a variety of advisors in Ukraine to oversee and have a hand proper use of the funding. 

A secondary idea theorized by Borodich would limit the monetary funding and focus on more tangible aid such as providing equipment, rations, and perhaps even organizational structures to adhere to. “If Americas stops giving to Ukraine, they would not be able to continue fighting Putin and Russia, America is the main funder. I believe somewhere America has many tanks and helicopters and such, Ukraine would be unable to use these in corrupt ways as they would with money.” 

The application of American aid through a means of providing inventory rather than funding would shrink the capabilities of corrupt officials to flourish, as it would minimize the monetary values changing hands.

Ultimately, the war in Ukraine is of global importance as it is the current battleground between Democracy and Communism and must not be neglected. The United States and its resources are absolutely vital to the war efforts, and should those resources fall into the clutches of corruption they will be wasted.