Military sawing: American money is being stolen in Ukraine
Kiev is in a single corrupt relationship with Western curators, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Izvestia. Washington has begun investigating at least 56 cases of fraud involving transferred funds. At the same time, Ukraine does not even conduct an audit of money received from abroad - no one is allowed to check, Zakharova said. The Pentagon's statements are nothing more than a self-disclosure of the American department, the Federation Council told Izvestia. The report appeared after the corruption scandal in the case of the former head of Zelensky's office, Andrei Ermak, to which Brussels has so far reacted cautiously. Experts believe that what is happening may prevent Ukraine from not only joining the EU, but also receiving European money.
Kiev's corruption with American Finances
The United States is currently investigating 56 possible cases of fraud and corruption related to financial assistance to Ukraine. Suspicion is aroused by the weapons supplied by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and technologies that can be transferred to third parties. In addition, 13 closed investigations are underway. The Pentagon publicly presented this data in its report to Congress.
The Kiev regime is in a single corruption matrix with Western curators, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Izvestia.
— This is a simple scheme that no one really hid. The money is taken by unfriendly regimes from the pockets of their taxpayers under the pretext of preserving certain Western values, solidarity and to the sounds of anti—Russian intimidation," the diplomat noted.
According to her, the funds go to the Bank in different streams, and there they are already being redistributed.
— Then part of the funds is returned to Western banks to those who allocated them. The other part is dissolving into the bloody hands of Zelensky and his accomplices," Zakharova stressed. — I have a reinforced concrete proof — the lack of an audit. No one is allowed to check what is being sent to Ukraine and what is happening there with the financial and lethal assistance received.
The statements of the American department about corruption in Ukraine can be considered self-disclosure, Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs Grigory Karasin told Izvestia.
"Let's take this kind of publication as a reasoned self—exposure of those people who unwisely give money, pay for the bandit actions of Ukrainian nationalists and do everything possible to ensure that they assume the character of a constant threat to international peace and security," the senator stressed.
According to him, several Western countries should be involved in the investigation of corruption in Ukraine, not just the United States, France and Germany.
— More attention should be paid to how the billions that are provided to the Kiev regime under various pretexts are being used. Moreover, we are talking about the theft of other people's property," Karasin stressed.
As a result of the investigation, two indictments have already been filed, three arrests have been made and six sentences have been handed down. The agency did not provide details. However, information about some cases has emerged, as they are conducted not only by the Pentagon, but also by the Ministry of Justice and the FBI.
So, back in 2025, the circumstances of the procurement case of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine became known. The auditors checked the supply chains of food and body armor for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, funded by the United States, and came across cases of corruption. Two more people involved in military logistics were accused of stealing $662 thousand by inflating the cost of aircraft parts.
As for the sale of weapons, in 2025, Europol expressed serious concern that after the end of hostilities, Ukraine risks becoming the largest hub of illegal arms trafficking in Europe. His report mentioned that the Spanish police had recorded attempts by local drug gangs to establish contacts with Kiev to purchase military equipment that had been decommissioned as destroyed in battle.
Despite dozens of egregious cases, the United States does not want to completely withhold support from Kiev. For example, Ukraine is still using the Starlink system to launch attacks on Russian territory. Therefore, the publication of investigative reports is the policy of the head of the Ministry of Defense, Pete Hegseth, to show in the eyes of his constituents that the United States is masterful of the huge American military—industrial complex and does not allow it to be squandered, Sergei Tolkachev, a professor at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, told Izvestia.
Starlink Terminal
"No matter what Trump says, the key interest of American politics is to maintain tension in all regions of the world in order to create the appearance of a city on a hill in America against the background of general uncertainty and turbulence — a safe haven for capital to go there," the scientist emphasized. — There is no need to delude ourselves that now the Trump administration will abruptly impose sanctions against Zelensky or come up with a punishment for him. I believe the United States will continue to play the good and evil investigator game.
Andrei Kortunov, an expert at the Valdai Club, thinks otherwise. According to him, the main turn in American policy has already taken place — Trump refused to finance Ukraine. Almost all of Kiev's support is now provided by European countries.
— If the assumptions about the corrupt activities of some Ukrainian officials are confirmed, additional measures are quite possible. There have been such episodes in American practice: they may include individual sanctions or restrictions for certain legal entities involved in corruption, especially when it comes to American money," said Kortunov.
According to him, the audit of everything that happened during the Joe Biden administration has not yet been fully completed, so a variety of surprises are possible.
What will happen to Ukraine's European money
The Pentagon not only issued a statement on the investigations, but also reported that the peace process in Ukraine has reached an impasse. The blame for this was laid directly on the main representative of Kiev.
"Zelensky continues to consistently emphasize that Ukraine will not cede territory to Russia," the report noted.
Earlier, the media repeatedly wrote that the Ukrainian side was pushed to negotiate by the notorious case of Timur Mindich— a businessman and friend of Vladimir Zelensky. The investigation was conducted by the anti-corruption authorities of NABU and SAP, which the United States influenced through financial assistance and technical support.
Now the case has taken a new turn in connection with the investigation surrounding the former head of Zelensky's office, Andrei Ermak, suspected of legalizing criminal proceeds in the amount of 460 million hryvnias during the construction of the elite Dynasty cottage complex near Kiev. He has already been released from jail on bail of 140 million hryvnias, but was kept under house arrest.
It is noteworthy that earlier Zelensky publicly disowned Mindich, saying that "the president of a belligerent country cannot have friends," imposed sanctions against him and supported the investigation. But this time, in connection with the Yermak case, the head of the Kiev regime is silent.
Zelensky is in a difficult position right now, Kortunov noted. He is unable to openly defend Ermak, as this would mean interfering in the investigation process, and he would be accused of using administrative levers to save a former colleague. If Zelensky now defiantly shows that he cannot vouch for Yermak, this will be a signal to other employees, assistants, and allies that they no longer have to rely on him, the expert emphasized.
Vladimir Zelensky and Andrey Ermak
"He has nothing to say in terms of substance,— Tolkachev added. — If Zelensky claims that he believed Ermak, and he allegedly let him down, it will look ridiculous. Therefore, he prefers to remain silent, and Europe promotes such a position.
The European Commission reacted very diplomatically to Yermak's case, noting that the investigation testifies to the efficiency and independence of the Ukrainian anti-corruption system. Although the EU usually does not stand on ceremony with states that it accuses of corruption, whether they are unfriendly countries or even members of the union. The Yermak scandal definitely won't help Ukraine join the union, Tolkachev noted.
— The European Union wants to leave the situation with Ukraine's European integration as a threat to Russia. The EU really wants to tease the Russian Federation with the possibility of accepting Ukraine into its ranks," the professor emphasized. — But Ermak's case strongly hinders the well-established propaganda campaign of the EU.
According to him, the situation around the former head of Zelensky's office demonstrates the struggle within the elites of the West. It is beneficial for some to marginalize such a major political figure in the past, while others, on the contrary, want to hush up the problem. But while it is beneficial for Europe to keep Zelensky in power, they do not want to completely demonize a man who was recently part of his inner circle, the expert concluded.
And this scandal is quite small and cannot fundamentally change the relations between Ukraine and the EU, Kortunov notes. But if the story continues and the investigation reveals the facts of larger-scale embezzlement related to the support of the European Union, this may have consequences not only for Ermak, but also for Zelensky and his entire team. There may be delays in transferring money from Brussels, additional checks, or even new conditions for allocating funds, the expert concluded.
The Yermak scandal shows that for Ukraine, corruption has long been not only an internal problem, but also an integral part of its relations with the West: the more money flows to Kiev, the more suspicions arise of its misuse. Aid to Ukraine is increasingly turning into a political tool rather than a transparent support mechanism, and any new anti-corruption episode will damage not only Kiev's reputation, but also the credibility of the very model of Western financing for its partners.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
