Kiev must go after corrupt individuals in politics and business if it wants to join the EU, a senior EU official has warned, as pressure mounts on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky over mounting corruption allegations, Politico reported, BTA reported.
In an interview with the American media, European Justice Commissioner Michael McGrath said that European governments would not support a candidate country like Ukraine joining the 27-member bloc unless it proves it has an effective system for rooting out crime at the highest levels of society.
Although the reform process in Ukraine continues, McGrath said he believes Kiev is doing "the best" it can to fight corruption, adding that it is in regular contact with Ukrainian authorities on the matter.
He was responding to a question about an alleged $100 million fraud plot in the Ukrainian energy sector, amid a widening investigation that includes senior figures close to Zelensky and his government.
“In every candidate country, there needs to be a robust system for dealing with alleged high-level corruption,“ McGrath said. “There needs to be a robust system for investigating and prosecuting and convicting, and demonstrating a proven track record in this area – something we demand from all our member states and, certainly, from those seeking to join the EU“.
Following the EU justice commissioner's comments, anti-corruption investigators raided the offices of Zelensky's most influential adviser – Andriy Yermak, as part of the ongoing investigation.
The investigation comes at a highly sensitive time for Ukraine, as US President Donald Trump pressures Zelensky to accept a peace deal that could require him to hand over land to Russia.
Ukraine is in the process of applying to join the EU, although opposition from Hungary is slowing the process. McGrath said that “the same standards apply to all candidate countries“ and added that “the rule of law and justice reforms are at the heart of the accession process“.
“We have had a very open and honest relationship with the authorities in Ukraine on these requirements“, he said. These rule of law standards must be met by all countries joining the EU, he added. "If they are not (fulfilled) then you will not get the support of the EU member states to continue on the path to accession," the European Commissioner said.
Asked if Ukraine was doing enough, he replied: "I think they are doing their best to achieve the required standards. This is a journey, we are following developments closely and we remain in constant contact with the Ukrainian authorities on those issues that come to our attention or are publicly announced."