Russia uses corruption to erode Ukrainian sovereignty - Blinken

According to Ukrinform, he stated this in an interview with the American TV channel MSNBC during his visit to Kyiv.

"Ukraine has aggression coming from outside, from Russia, but also inside - in terms of corruption that potentially eats away at its democracy, oligarchs who are advancing their own interests instead of the interests of the Ukrainian people. Corruption is a tool that Russia uses to try to erode Ukrainian sovereignty from the inside," Blinken said.

He said he had detailed conversations with his Ukrainian counterparts about Ukraine's reform efforts. "They've taken some good steps, but there are other areas where real progress is needed, which they acknowledge," Blinken said, adding that corporate governance is one of such areas.

"So is making sure that the judiciary is reformed. So is making sure that there is a truly independent anti-corruption board, something we helped establish way back in 2015," Blinken said.

During his official visit to Ukraine, Blinken met with senior Ukrainian officials, including President Volodymyr Zelensky, MPs, and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. He also met with Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, other officials and Ukrainian civil society representatives.

Photo: Shmyhal / Telegram