U.S. President Joe Biden postpones a telephone conversation with Volodymyr Zelensky due to America's expectations that Mr. Zelensky will make efforts to tackle his country’s endemic corruption — something that is vital to stabilizing its economy and preserving Ukraine's fragile independence from Russia.
This is stated in an article in the Washington Post.
The Washington Post recalled that Mr. Zelensky, a former actor and political neophyte, was elected in 2019 on a promise to take on the oligarchs, dirty judges and mafia networks. However, last year he “retreated, firing reformers in his cabinet and the central bank president, and stalling on judicial reforms and action against oligarchs. In particular, Mr. Zelensky waffled on taking on Ihor Kolomoisky, the tycoon whose television network propelled him to the presidency”.
The Joe Biden administration imposed sanctions against oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky last week, hinting that they are waiting for a response.
“He took action against one powerful, pro-Russian oligarch, shutting down television networks the oligarch controlled. He has tried to push a crucial judicial reform through parliament. And authorities opened criminal cases against three former officials at a bank Mr. Kolomoisky once controlled from which $5.5 billion was allegedly looted,” the journalists wrote.
Finally, Mr. Zelensky’s office released a statement in response to the U.S. sanction, saying that “Ukraine is grateful to all its partners for support” in “the battle with the oligarchs.”
However, as the publication assures, these actions on the part of Kyiv are not enough.
“But the president must show greater commitment to that fight. He should press for judicial reforms, restore independence to the central bank and rule out any move to weaken the National Anti-Corruption Bureau. He should break unequivocally with Mr. Kolomoisky and support criminal charges against him. Having survived a U.S. president who sought to corrupt him, Mr. Zelensky now has the opportunity to forge a partnership with Mr. Biden that could decisively advance Ukraine’s attempt to break free from Russia and join the democratic West. He should seize on it,” the Washington Post wrote.