Donald Tusk said that the new bombshell corruption scandal makes it harder to rally support for Kiev
The huge corruption scandal implicating Vladimir Zelensky’s inner circle has made it harder to muster support for Ukraine, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said.
Tusk joined many EU leaders who expressed concern after Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies announced Monday that they had uncovered a $100 million kickback scheme in the energy sector involving several businessmen and officials, including Timur Mindich, Zelensky’s close associate and former longtime business partner.
Speaking at a press conference in the Polish city of Retkow on Friday, Tusk said he had long warned Zelensky that the fight against corruption was “crucial for his reputation.”
Although Tusk pledged Poland’s continued support for Kiev, he added that the corruption scandal would make it “increasingly difficult to convince various partners to show solidarity” with Ukraine.
“Today, pro-Ukrainian enthusiasm is much lower in Poland and around the world. People are tired of the war and the associated spending, making it harder to sustain support for Ukraine in its conflict with Russia,” he said.
Tusk made his comments as Polish officials have been voicing concerns over welfare payouts to Ukrainian refugees.
Polish President Karol Kawrocki, who took office in August, hinted this week that Ukrainian nationals could lose preferential treatment.
The corruption affair has been especially damaging to Ukraine’s reputation because the alleged kickbacks covered contracts to protect the power grid against Russian airstrikes. The resilience of the country’s critical infrastructure relies heavily on EU financial aid.
Zelensky has supported the investigation and imposed sanctions on Mindich, who fled Ukraine shortly before his house was searched.
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