Three years ago, on May 20, 2019, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, with a hint of irony, said in his inauguration speech that his election victory proved that Ukrainians were tired of experienced politicians who over the past 28 years had created a country of opportunities – “opportunities to steal, bribe and loot”.
The former comedian, who promised to tackle corruption in his campaign, added: “Let’s build a country of other opportunities. Where everybody is equal before the law and where the rules of the game are honest and transparent, that are the same for everyone.”
Ukraine has long been associated with corruption and oligarchy and Russia has used these talking points to partially justify its war against the country.
However, analysts say that Ukraine today has made significant strides to root out corruption as they note Russia is in no position to criticise.
According to Transparency International’s 2021 Corruption Perceptions Index, Ukraine ranked 122nd out of 180 countries, near countries such as Zambia, Gabon and Mexico, while nations like Denmark and Finland ranked first.
That year, Ukraine was the second most corrupt in Europe. Russia was the most corrupt at 136.
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