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Berlin: We Still Trust Ukraine Despite Energy Corruption Allegations
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![Photo of Liubava Petriv]( "Photo of Liubava Petriv")
The German government says it continues to trust Ukraine despite a developing scandal involving alleged corruption in the energy sector, Deutsche Welle (DW) reported on November 12.
German government spokesperson Stefan Kornelius stated that Berlin is following the situation closely but maintains confidence in Kyiv’s leadership and anti-corruption institutions.
“The federal government is now watching developments very closely. I have already said that we are in the closest and most trusting contact with the president (of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy—Ed.) and continue to stand by his side, including in such situations. We will now observe how this particular case unfolds. And, if necessary, we may have to take action in this matter as well,” Kornelius said in response to a question about whether the scandal could lead Germany to tighten control over how Ukraine uses its aid.
The case, investigated by Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU), involves alleged multimillion-dollar kickbacks connected to the state nuclear energy company Energoatom. Several business figures and officials have reportedly been detained, and Justice Minister Herman Halushchenko—formerly Energy Minister—has been suspended pending investigation.
Kornelius reaffirmed Germany’s trust in Ukraine’s institutions:
“At this moment, we have confidence in the Ukrainian government to take care of this issue on its own, as well as in the anti-corruption bodies—that they will uncover this case and bring it to a logical conclusion.”
Kornelius also noted that during the upcoming German-Ukrainian intergovernmental consultations, scheduled for later this year, the topic of corruption is not on the official agenda, and its discussion is not currently planned.
Earlier, it was reported that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for the resignation of the country’s justice and energy ministers following an investigation into a corruption scheme involving the state nuclear energy company Energoatom.
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