KYIV: A major corruption scandal and mounting accusations that the Ukrainian presidency is using the judiciary to intimidate and silence critics has rocked Kyiv, presenting a significant test for Volodymyr Zelensky almost four years into the Russian invasion.
Justice Minister German Galushchenko, a former energy minister, was suspended Wednesday after being caught up in an investigation into one of Zelensky’s top allies, who is accused of orchestrating a $100-million scheme to secure kickbacks from the power sector.
While Galushchenko denies any wrongdoing, the scandal has sparked anger as Ukraine’s electricity grid is creaking under a barrage of attacks from Russia as the country heads into winter.
These challenges come at a critical time for Zelensky, who has remained popular and largely unchallenged since Russia invaded in 2022, with Moscow’s forces advancing in the east.
It also shows how strained the tightrope that Ukraine has been forced to walk – between centralising power to run the war, and forging on with democratic reforms key to joining the EU – is becoming.
