Merz urged Zelensky to vigorously fight corruption 0 8

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, in a phone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday, November 13, urged him to "vigorously advance the fight against corruption and further reforms, especially in the area of the rule of law." The conversation between the politicians took place against the backdrop of a corruption scandal surrounding the Ukrainian state company "Energoatom."

For his part, Zelensky informed Merz about the progress of the investigation into the members of the Ukrainian government who have resigned and promised "full transparency and long-term support for anti-corruption agencies, as well as further urgent measures aimed at restoring the trust of the Ukrainian population, European partners, and international donors" in his country, according to a press release on the German government’s website.

Zelensky thanked Merz for support

Additionally, the Ukrainian leader thanked Friedrich Merz for Germany's support, especially in the area of air defense and protection of Ukrainian energy infrastructure. The President of Ukraine and the head of the German government also agreed to continue efforts to achieve a ceasefire and long-term peace in close coordination with European and transatlantic partners, the press service of the German Chancellor noted.

For his part, Merz emphasized that Germany, together with its Western partners, would continue to pressure Moscow to secure serious Russian participation in peace negotiations. In this regard, work will continue on "the effective use of blocked Russian state assets," the document states.

Another topic of the conversation was the situation of Ukrainian refugees. The Ukrainian president will address the issue related to the increasing departures of young Ukrainian men to the EU, the message states.

Corruption scandal in "Energoatom"

The National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP) reported earlier this week the exposure of a large-scale corruption scheme in the Ukrainian state company "Energoatom."

"The main direction of the criminal organization’s activities was the systematic receipt of illegal benefits from Energoatom's contractors in the amount of 10% to 15% of the contract value. In particular, contractors of Energoatom were imposed conditions for paying kickbacks to avoid blocking payments for services rendered/supplied products or losing their supplier status," NABU stated.

Ukraine's sanctions against Timur Mindich and Alexander Tsukerman

Investigators from NABU identified financier Alexander Tsukerman and businessman Timur Mindich - a long-time associate of Zelensky and co-owner of the "Kvartal 95" studio - as the organizers of the large-scale corruption scheme in the state company "Energoatom." On November 13, Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree imposing sanctions against them. Mindich and Tsukerman have been stripped of state awards, their assets in Ukraine have been blocked for three years, and their ability to conduct trade operations has been terminated. Additionally, Mindich and Tsukerman are prohibited from acquiring land in Ukraine.

On November 10, law enforcement conducted searches at Timur Mindich's premises, at "Energoatom," and at the Minister of Justice of Ukraine, Herman Halushchenko. However, Mindich left Ukraine shortly before this.

Ukrainian Border Service: Mindich's exit from the country was legal

On November 12, amid widespread public outcry, the State Border Service of Ukraine issued a statement that it conducted "its own internal investigation to establish the circumstances of Timur Mindich's border crossing" and found that the crossing was legal.

"He (Timur Mindich - Ed.) was processed at the border for exit from Ukraine at one of the checkpoints in accordance with the norms of current legislation. All documents granting the right to cross the border during the martial law were in place. It is also noted that there were no restrictions imposed on him regarding the prohibition of leaving Ukraine," the State Border Service of Ukraine stated on Facebook. "Additionally, the State Border Service of Ukraine did not receive any orders from any law enforcement agency that border service inspectors should use in case this citizen was found at the state border, in particular, regarding a prohibition on leaving Ukraine, search, or informing about the fact of crossing the state border."