Europe Is Selling Ukraine a Pipe Dream

Yet just a week before the allegations became public, the European Commission issued a largely upbeat annual accession review for Ukraine. The country only assumed candidate status three years ago, in the months immediately after Russia’s full invasion, and accession negotiations started in December 2023. In the heat of its punishing war with the world’s third-largest superpower, Ukraine has made larger strides toward joining the EU than some Balkan countries have during a decade of peace.

The corruption scandal engulfing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s government has quickly eclipsed the uplifting cheer issuing from the European Union’s recent commendations for Ukraine’s progress toward joining the bloc. On Nov. 12, the country’s energy and justice ministers stepped down in the wake of a wide-ranging investigation into corruption in the energy sector. Ukraine’s anti-corruption agency charged eight individuals with abuse of office, bribery, and illicit enrichment, delivering a forceful blow to Zelensky’s administration at a moment when Ukraine faces setbacks on the battlefield.

The corruption scandal engulfing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s government has quickly eclipsed the uplifting cheer issuing from the European Union’s recent commendations for Ukraine’s progress toward joining the bloc. On Nov.