Zelensky under pressure: How the handling of corruption is stirring up Ukraine

Berlin. Volodymyr Zelenskyy has finally turned the corner. Just as the Ukrainian president was quick to suddenly revoke the independence of the two anti-corruption agencies created after the pro-Western revolution of 2014, he also swiftly presented a new set of rules following the largest protests since the war began. Parliament plans to vote on them as early as Thursday. However, it remains unclear how the resulting loss of trust will be remedied.

It's difficult to judge from the outside to what extent the president wanted to place the two agencies under the Prosecutor General's control because he feared Russian influence in the fight against corruption. The fact is: Ukraine is still one of the most corrupt countries in Europe. And Vladimir Putin is capable of any kind of dirty trick.

But Zelensky must be beyond all doubt that he could betray democratic values. Ukraine is defending itself against Russia's illegal war of aggression at a high price—and with massive military aid from the West—because it wants to belong to the democracy of the EU and not to Moscow's dictatorship. If the people who risk their lives for this are demoralized, the front—Ukraine—will collapse. Putin would have achieved his goal.

One thing should be clear, though: Zelenskyy could have fled shortly before the Russian invasion in 2022 and lived off his money abroad. But he defied the brutal and unscrupulous Kremlin leader and is also risking his own life in the fight for freedom in Europe. There aren't many people with such courage and perseverance despite the constant bombing for almost three and a half years. Who wouldn't make a mistake at some point under such superhuman pressure?