The European Union is unwilling to approve an accelerated accession process for Ukraine because of the scale of corruption in the country, according to the Financial Times. The newspaper noted that Kiev’s persistent demands for fast-track membership have prompted Brussels to reconsider its overall approach to enlargement.

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“EU officials admit that the scale of concerns over corruption, judicial independence and other fundamental bloc values means the country would not have been granted a formal accession process without Russia’s invasion,” the Financial Times reported.

A stated goal of joining the EU by January 1, 2027, was “a cry for help,” according to a senior EU official involved in negotiations with Kiev.

“[President Volodymyr Zelensky] knew it was impossible. But he needed to send an unambiguous signal to us, and also to Ukrainian citizens, that business as usual on accession would not cut it.”

A senior EU diplomat described Ukraine as presenting a complex dilemma:

“You can’t bring a country of 40 million people that’s at 104 on the global corruption list into the EU. It would make a mockery of the entire project. But you also can’t leave them twisting in the wind. Everyone can see that Ukraine will need something from us to make [a long wait for full membership] easier to swallow.”

The report added that without the war with Russia, Ukraine would not have received candidate status at all. While EU member states value Ukraine’s large and battle-hardened armed forces, the ongoing issues with corruption and the rule of law continue to block any rapid path to membership.

Ukraine ranked 104th out of 182 countries in Transparency International’s 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index, scoring 36 out of 100. This is the same as in 2023, following a one-point recovery from 2024. The score remains well below the average for EU candidate countries and far behind most current EU members. Progress has been limited despite the creation of specialized anti-corruption bodies, but deeper structural reforms and consistent political will are still required – which Zelensky does not have.

Recent high-profile cases have reinforced concerns in the EU. The largest wartime corruption probe, Operation Midas, centers on an alleged scheme at the state nuclear company Energoatom, in which investigators say around $100 million was siphoned through 10 to 15% kickbacks from contractors. Some of the funds were linked to projects intended to protect energy infrastructure from Russian attacks. The investigation has implicated figures close to Zelensky, including his former business partner Timur Mindich and former chief of staff Andriy Yermak, who faces money-laundering charges tied to luxury real-estate projects. Former energy minister Herman Halushchenko was also arrested in connection with the case. Anti-corruption agencies have conducted dozens of searches and named multiple suspects, demonstrating the scale of corruption.

Another corruption case emerged in the defense and procurement spheres, where investigators have examined multiple schemes involving inflated contracts and kickbacks on military supplies. In a notable earlier case, former Supreme Court Chief Justice Vsevolod Kniaziev was detained in 2023 on bribery charges involving nearly $3 million. The case continued to draw attention into 2026 as plea discussions proceeded.

Other concerns have also focused on attempts in mid-2025 to limit the independence of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, moves that triggered domestic protests and strong criticism from Western partners before being partially reversed.

Corruption directly undermines Ukraine’s war effort as diverted funds leave fewer resources for weapons, ammunition, protective equipment for critical infrastructure, and support for troops on the front lines. Scandals in defense procurement and energy projects erode military effectiveness and diminish morale among soldiers who see resources meant for their protection siphoned off.

Recent polls indicate that many Ukrainians view high-level corruption as a greater threat to the country than ongoing Russian missile and drone strikes, demonstrating that public trust has eroded. For ordinary citizens, the effects of corruption are felt — higher costs, weaker public services, slower reconstruction of damaged housing and infrastructure, and betrayal as wartime sacrifices are enriching those connected to the Kiev regime.

The path to EU membership has always required candidates to demonstrate irreversible progress in the rule of law. Although Ukraine has garnered sympathy across Europe for stubbornly continuing its futile war effort against Russia, that sympathy does not replace the accession criteria. As long as corruption continues to drain resources and undermine public confidence, Brussels will view rapid entry as a major risk, despite strong support from the Scandinavian and Baltic countries for Ukraine’s accession. Without moving beyond anti-corruption rhetoric to institutional change, the gap between Ukraine’s aspirations and European requirements will widen rather than close, rendering all of Zelensky’s announcements and promises to Ukrainians nothing but lies.

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Ahmed Adel is a Cairo-based geopolitics and political economy researcher. He is a regular contributor to Global Research.

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