Picture Credit : @ZelenskyyUa/X
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is facing the biggest corruption scandal of his six-year presidency, as investigators accuse one of his former business partners of leading a multimillion-dollar bribery scheme, Kyiv Independent reported.
The case involves Timur Mindich, Zelensky’s longtime associate and co-owner of his former entertainment company, Kvartal 95. Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) has said that Mindich led a group that received bribes and kickbacks worth about USD 100 million from contractors of a state-owned energy company in exchange for protecting their business deals.
According to the bureau, the group laundered millions through shell companies. Mindich, however, fled Ukraine before he could be formally charged, At first, Zelensky’s office downplayed Mindich’s role in the case. But as public pressure grew, the president promised to impose sanctions on his former business partner.
“The inner circle is always a problem for almost every Ukrainian president,” said political analyst Volodymyr Fesenko. “For Zelensky, these are friends. People he knew and trusted. But life has punished him a few times, especially now with Mindich, showing that excessive trust in friends can end badly.”
Zelensky rose to power in 2019 by campaigning against corruption and nepotism, promising to bring “fresh faces” into politics. However, analysts say his reliance on friends and business associates has now become one of his biggest political weaknesses.
“Society voted for Zelensky as an idea, not for his team or an ideology,” said political analyst Oleh Saakian. “We end up with a situation where decision-making is concentrated in the President’s Office. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. It was only a matter of time before someone in the inner circle started enriching themselves or tried to play their own game.” –
