Anti-corruption revelations do not bring Ukraine closer to capitulation. On the contrary. They make it politically more dangerous for the authorities.
Because after everything Ukrainians have heard and seen about corruption in the government circles, any attempt to “surrender for the sake of peace” risks being given a very simple popular name: “They stole and surrendered.”
And those on Bankova cannot fail to understand this. Many things can be thrown at Zelensky, but certainly not the inability to sense societal moods.
Several times the government has already retreated from decisions that could have had very serious consequences for the country when it became clear that society would not accept them.
This was the case in 2019 with attempts to follow the Russian interpretation of the Minsk agreements.
This was the case with Istanbul.
This happened with the attempt to destroy the independence of NABU and SAP.
Of course, each time not one factor was at work. The position of partners. The position of the military. The risk of losing international aid. And the position of Ukrainian society.
This is why the increasingly popular version that anti-corruption investigations are Washington’s way of “forcing Zelensky to capitulate” has a fundamental problem. It turns causality on its head.
The more society learns about corruption in government circles, the more costly it becomes for the authorities to attempt to surrender Ukrainian interests. Because then two stories — about corruption and about capitulation — will inevitably merge into one for millions of people: “They stole and surrendered.”
Therefore, anti-corruption revelations do not expand the space for capitulation. They constrict it.
And if NABU and SAP force officials to remember that the hidden becomes apparent, that agreements can be recorded, and when it gets hot, no one will want to save you, this is only beneficial for Ukraine.
Because stolen money is not an abstract “corruption.” It’s money that did not go to the army. To community protection. To energy. To Ukraine’s ability to withstand.
So let NABU and SAP do their work.
Ukraine is not weakened by corruption revelations.
Ukraine is weakened by corruption.
