Zelenskyy: We working to ensure not single dollar or euro as part of partners' aid ends up in pockets of those for whom they are not intended
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, during a conversation with the press on the sidelines of the third Summit of the European Political Community, said that work is underway in Ukraine to protect partner financial assistance.
Commenting on an interview with former European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, in which he called Ukraine a corrupt state at all levels and, therefore, not ready for EU membership, Zelenskyy called it a rebroadcast of "the well-known Russian story about corruption in Ukraine."
"They [Russians] realized that they cannot break European unity and European support for Ukraine. And the United States, through its intelligence, sees the roots of all this, where it grows from and how Russia is trying to break the balance of power in the world, to undermine our support," the president said.
"At first, the Russians made stories about Nazism. Then they realized that, you know, it doesn't work, because there is no Nazism in Ukraine. Then they found some of our supposed military men who allegedly killed children. On the contrary, it was the Russians who stole our children. And there is a recognition by the ICC that this is a terrorist act on the part of the Russian state and President Putin. And now they have found something else – how to stop military support," he said.
Thus, according to Zelenskyy, "Russia has found information that in some of our government agencies, someone is allegedly stealing some of the funds that come to us as part of support."
"Of course, there are many different people. It is difficult for our judicial system to control everything. This is true. But in any case, we are working to ensure that not a single dollar or euro that comes from partners ends up in the pockets of those for whom they are not intended," the head of state said.
Speaking about the former head of the European Commission himself, Zelenskyy said he "saw him only once, at the very beginning, when he became president."
"What can I say? I don't want to criticize or say anything else. I just want to share one thought with you. Since February 24, Ursula von der Leyen has been to Ukraine dozens of times. Charles Michel has been many times. Roberta Metsola, EU leaders, most of them, have been with us many times. These are the faces of the EU. My question to this famous person [Juncker] why didn't he find the time to come to Ukraine, show support, help, show that the EU is with us? This means, there are no such interests. And now the narratives of Russia are expanding. I don't think this is smart. He is a man of respectable age. I wish him peace," the president said.