Trump's close preacher and televangelist Mark Burns stated that corruption scandals in the Ukrainian government negatively affect Ukraine's image among Western partners and complicate the advocacy for further assistance.
Burns stated this in an interview with Ukrainian journalist Anna Olitska.
According to Burns, in the U.S., particularly among supporters of the America First approach, skepticism is growing when information about possible abuses of funds that were supposed to be directed towards the protection and support of the civilian population emerges.
"It looks bad and raises the question: do the resources really reach the front and the innocent people?" he noted, emphasizing that he has no sympathy for those guilty of corruption but warned against punishing the entire society for the actions of officials.
At the same time, Burns emphasized that from a spiritual and humanitarian perspective, the lives of people are more important than territory. "No piece of land is worth mass deaths and war crimes," he said, commenting on the discussion about priorities in the war.
Separately, Burns spoke about political leadership in Ukraine. In his opinion, the question of who should lead the state - a man, a military figure, or a woman - is exclusively a matter for the Ukrainian people. He stated that a female president, a woman leader exists in the Bible, citing biblical examples of women leaders.
Commenting on Ukraine's prospects, the preacher close to the U.S. president expressed his belief that the country has a chance for large-scale recovery and economic growth if there are no corruption scandals.
It should be noted that recently Mark Burns visited Ukraine for the first time. According to him, the trip significantly changed his perception of the country: instead of the "map on CNN," he saw a different world.
