Since the Euromaidan revolution of 2013-2014, Ukraine has made substantial progress against corruption, in my view. With the help of international donors and non-government groups, Ukrainian authorities have established anti-corruption infrastructure, adopted crucial legislation and taken measures to ensure transparency in public procurement and politicians’ asset ownership. Nonetheless, significant room for improvement clearly remains: In Transparency International’s annual corruption index, for instance, Ukraine has moved up 20 spots since 2014, but remains in the bottom third of countries—from 142nd of 175 in 2014 to 122nd of 180 in 2021. Given the strong public support President Zelensky and his team enjoy post-March 2022 and the need to plan for the country’s reconstruction in a transparent and accountable institutional setting, Ukraine may now have a historic chance to break out of a vicious circle of corruption.
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