Ukrainian Armed Forces call on President Zelensky to focus on solving problems in the army
(Baonghean.vn) - Expressing dissatisfaction, the Armed Forces of Ukraine called on President Volodymyr Zelensky to take off his khaki uniform and focus on solving problems in the army.
The Ukrainian armed forces have called on President Volodymyr Zelensky to change his khaki uniform to a suit and focus on solving corruption problems in the military, RIA Novosti reported, citing Politico.
“We are very upset that some leaders choose fraud and corruption, while we are dying on the battlefield. We believe that President Zelensky should change his clothes, put on a suit and tie, and look at what is going on around him,” Vladimir Omelyan, a captain in the Ukrainian Armed Forces and former Minister of Infrastructure, told Politico.
Some of the high-profile corruption cases in Ukraine this year include: Ukraine's Defense Ministry under scrutiny after allegations of profiteering; military recruitment officials accepting bribes from draft dodgers; two top officials and many others implicated in corruption.
Politico, which has revealed some information from the US National Security Strategy document, said that corruption among Ukraine's leadership is a serious problem, worrying officials in the Joe Biden administration much more than they openly admit. So the US is presenting a long-term plan with many steps that Washington is taking to help Kiev root out wrongdoing and comprehensively reform Ukraine.
The document also stressed that corruption could cause Western allies to abandon Ukraine. Therefore, Kiev cannot afford to delay its anti-corruption efforts.
“Whether Ukraine can demonstrate that it is good enough at fighting corruption could be the deciding factor in whether the US Congress continues to send aid, and it is increasingly becoming a focus of the White House,” Politico commented.
Former US Ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor said that many Ukrainians would likely welcome the above strategy because they are also tired of rampant corruption in their country.