Ukrainians identify the country's main problems
(Baonghean.vn) - Researchers have asked what worries Ukrainians most besides the conflict with Russia.
According to RT news agency, a recent public opinion poll shows that more than half of Ukrainians surveyed believe that, besides the ongoing military conflicts, corruption is the most pressing problem in their country.
Researchers at the International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) asked Ukrainians to name three things that worry them most, apart from the conflict with Russia. According to the results of the poll released on November 1, 63% of those surveyed considered high levels of corruption to be the biggest problem facing Ukraine. This was followed by low wages and pensions, which were cited by 46% of respondents.
About 20-24% of the 2,007 respondents also said they were concerned about high utility bills, demographic problems that could arise from Ukrainian refugees not returning home, and high unemployment.
The survey also revealed that 15% of Ukrainians are concerned that their country will not be invited to join NATO, while 8% are worried that Kiev's talks on European Union (EU) membership could fail.
Commenting on the poll, Anton Grushetsky, head of KIIS, said: “As we have repeatedly pointed out, corruption is still a problem that bothers Ukrainians.” According to the expert, Ukrainians want the authorities to solve this problem effectively. “It is noteworthy that the problems of their own welfare (such as pensions, unemployment or taxes) are less important to citizens than the injustices caused by corruption.”
Earlier this week, a Time magazine article characterized Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky as unable to tackle corruption not only in his country but also within his own government.
Another source said that the dismissal of Ukrainian Defense Minister Aleksey Reznikov on corruption charges in early September failed to change the situation.
Politico reported last month that the Biden administration is far more concerned about corruption in Ukraine than it has publicly acknowledged. The newspaper said it had obtained a classified US strategy document that warned that corruption could cause Western allies to abandon support for Kiev amid its conflict with Moscow. The document stressed that anti-corruption reforms Washington wants Ukraine to implement should not be delayed.
Earlier in September, the Ukrainian newspaper Zerkalo Nedeli claimed that Mr. Zelensky had ordered Ukrainian journalists not to mention corruption in their articles until the Russia-Ukraine conflict ended.