The G7 leaders’ meeting, the NATO summit, Joe Biden-Vladimir Putin talks – during these events, which have drawn the attention of the whole world, Ukraine was mentioned, although its representatives were not present at these events. What conclusions should be drawn?
First and foremost, our state remains a party to important international processes. Ukraine is remembered, it is no longer considered a part of Russia. It is Putin who cannot accept the idea of Ukraine’s independence.
The West sees Ukraine as an independent state. We have gained the real subjectivity of our own state in a fierce struggle since 2014 when the Russian aggression began. Ukraine stood up despite territorial losses and internal problems. And the main one is corruption. This is a serious signal for Volodymyr Zelensky and his team.
Commenting on the prospects of Ukraine’s accession to NATO, Biden has stressed that to achieve Euro-Atlantic integration, our country needs to overcome corruption and meet other requirements of the alliance to those wishing to become its members. He stressed that Ukraine will have to convince all NATO members of its desire to join them.
The role of the United States within NATO is obviously significant. However, another component of Biden’s position is important: he is convinced that Russia’s aggression in the Donbas against Ukraine is not an obstacle to Euro-Atlantic integration. The Ukrainian government has received a clear signal: fight corruption, and then you will be able to become a member of NATO in the long run. Do not ask Biden “Why is Ukraine still not in NATO?” but comply with the requirements for aspirant countries.
What does joining NATO mean for Ukraine under the present circumstances? To a large extent, this is a victory in a hybrid war, because in this way our state will finally cease to be perceived by the world as part of the “Russian world.” Today, Ukraine has no other, more realistic opportunity to defeat Russia.
This means the need to focus on anti-corruption actions, to strengthen public policy on this issue. Its focus should not be on the past, but on responding to violations of the law by the current government. Anti-corruption bodies must be effective and independent. Corruption is always here and now, it is depriving the state of the necessary resources in real-time. The losses of state monopolies in 2020 have been impressive, and this is evidence of corruption. At least 2/3 of Ukrainian citizens are convinced that the country is moving in the wrong direction – and this is very dangerous, given the presence of an aggressive neighbor. Corruption destroys the mechanisms of functioning of the Ukrainian state, and this is in Russia’s favor.
The US and European Union do not like imitations. The situation in Ukraine is very well known in Washington, Berlin, and Brussels. Therefore, the struggle against corruption, rather than juggling the terms “de-oligarchization” and “antitrust legislation” should be the basis of public policy. Ukrainian antitrust legislation is highly valued by experts, although today there is a lack of political will to apply it. Zelensky’s team is afraid to hit their own, and this is quite obvious. During the two years of Volodymyr Zelensky’s presidency, a stratum of “new oligarchs”, still private but filthy rich, has formed. It was created through corruption, and the incumbent president is politically responsible for it.
The modern world is evolving very quickly. Ukrainian independence is almost 30 years old, and it is the longest period of independent development in our recent history. The challenges facing Ukraine are very serious, but so are the opportunities offered by a real fight against corruption, rather than an imitation of the frantic activity from which Ukrainian society is already tired.
Yevhen Mahda is the director of the Institute of World Policy in Kyiv.
