US Senators urge Ukraine to continue fighting corruption
US Senate Foreign Relations Committee members Jeanne Shaheen and Senator Lindsey Graham have issued a statement following the Ukrainian parliament's passage of a law that changes the status of the National Anti-corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialized Anti-corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO).
"Ukraine has made enormous strides on its anti-corruption agenda since the Revolution of Dignity. Notably, this progress was made while Ukraine was fighting against Russia’s aggression—which is a testament to the extraordinary will of the Ukrainian people. The Verkhovna Rada’s recent passage of a law, signed by President Zelenskyy, we fear undermines much of that progress and goes against Ukraine’s tremendous fighting spirit as well as the expectations of Ukraine’s citizenry and the international community," the senators said in a statement.
"One of the most widely used talking points for ending support for Ukraine is that it was awash with corruption. We acknowledge that Ukraine continues to make progress on this front and we urge the government to refrain from any actions that undermine that progress," the senators said in a statement.
"There continues to be significant bipartisan support for Ukraine and agreement that it is in Ukraine’s interest – and our own – to meet the expectations of its citizenry and ensure that governance structures guarantee Ukraine’s economic prosperity and future U.S. investments," the senators added.
