The European Union tied Ukraine’s membership in this bloc to the punishment of corrupt people

According to RCO News Agency, “Michael McGrath”, European Justice Commissioner, stated in an interview with “Paltico” magazine that European governments will not support the candidacy of a country like Ukraine to join the 27-nation European Union until it proves its efficient system for dealing with crimes at the highest levels of society.

These positions show the aggravation of the consequences caused by the disclosure of the corruption scandal of the high-ranking officials of the government of “Volodymyr Zelenskyi”, the President of Ukraine.

In the continuation of this interview, McGrath also tried to reduce Zelensky’s concerns and said: “The reform process in Ukraine is a journey, and Kiev is doing its best to fight corruption. “I have regular contacts with the authorities there about developments.”

He expressed these positions in response to a question about the discovery of a plot to embezzle about 100 million dollars from Ukraine’s energy sector, which was also exposed by senior figures close to Zelensky and members of his government.

McGrath pointed out: “Any country that is a candidate for membership in the European Union must have a strong system for dealing with high-level corruption cases. It is necessary for you to have a powerful system for investigations and finally to prosecute and convict criminals. “Having an effective record in this area is what we have required for all the member countries of our bloc and certainly those who want to join the European Union.”

According to Politico, after McGrath’s interview, Ukrainian anti-corruption investigators raided the premises of Andriy Yermak, Zelensky’s top adviser, as part of the investigation. Zelensky announced Yermak’s dismissal and stated that he does not want “rumors and speculation”.

These developments have occurred at a critical moment for Zelenskyi’s government. US President Donald Trump has pressured Zelensky to accept a peace agreement with Russia that would cede significant land to Russia.

On the other hand, Ukraine is in the process of reviewing its request to join the European Union, but Hungary’s objections have prevented the progress of this process. “The same standards apply to all candidate countries,” McGrath said. “The rule of law and judicial reforms are at the heart of the process of joining the Union.”

“We have a very open and honest relationship with the Ukrainian authorities regarding the accession requirements,” he added. All countries that join the European Union must comply with standards related to the rule of law. If they do not do this, they will lose the support of the EU member states to progress on the path of joining.”

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