The Trump administration has not publicly addressed a growing corruption scandal involving senior figures in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s government and inner circle.
The White House did not respond to requests for comment after Ukrainian authorities announced a $100 million corruption investigation this week, an inquiry that has already led to high-profile resignations.
Corruption has long complicated U.S.–Ukraine relations. In 2019, the Trump administration paused about $400 million in military aid to Kyiv, citing concerns over graft. During that period, Trump’s associates also pressed Ukraine for information related to Democratic rival Joe Biden, who had served as vice president under Barack Obama.
At the same time, Biden’s son, Hunter, held a board position at the Ukrainian energy firm Burisma that reportedly paid $50,000 per month. As vice president, Joe Biden threatened to withhold $1 billion in U.S. loan guarantees unless Ukraine dismissed prosecutor Viktor Shokin, whom Western governments criticized for failing to pursue corruption cases. Shokin later claimed he was removed because he was investigating Burisma—an assertion disputed by U.S. and European officials.
President Donald Trump has spent months pushing for a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, a conflict for which the United States has provided roughly $175 billion in aid since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
Ukraine’s anti-corruption bodies—the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP)—said they spent 15 months on “Operation Midas,” a probe that involved about 1,000 hours of wiretaps. Investigators allege they uncovered a kickback network tied to contractors working with Energoatom, the state-owned nuclear company. According to authorities, contractors paid bribes of 10–15% to secure contracts, adding up to around $100 million.
Prosecutors say the alleged organizer was Timur Mindich, a longtime Zelenskyy associate and co-owner of the president’s former production studio. Mindich also served as an adviser to Justice Minister German Galushchenko. Investigators allege Galushchenko—who was energy minister until July—helped facilitate money laundering and acted under Mindich’s influence.
Mindich reportedly left Ukraine early Monday, hours before investigators raided his home. Galushchenko and his replacement, Energy Minister Svitlana Grynchuk, both submitted resignations after Zelenskyy requested they step aside. Prosecutors said five suspects have been arrested and seven others formally notified of suspicion.
In its statement, NABU said the network routed funds to “an unnamed former deputy prime minister of Ukraine,” internally identified by the codename “Che Guevara.” Investigators said they traced about $1.2 million to that individual.
“Using their official connections in the ministry and the state-owned company,” the suspects allegedly took control of staffing decisions, procurement, and financial flows, according to Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies.
Zelenskyy has not been directly accused of wrongdoing, but the revelations have created political turbulence for a leader who rose to power promising to dismantle graft. He has endorsed the investigation publicly, saying Monday night that effective anti-corruption action is essential and that punishment must be unavoidable.
Earlier this year, Zelenskyy faced criticism after proposing tighter presidential oversight of Ukraine’s independent anti-corruption agencies, a plan he later withdrew.
Before entering politics, the former comedian often mocked Ukraine’s entrenched corruption. “Is it possible to become president and not steal?” he once joked. “It’s a rhetorical question, as no one has tried so far.” His 2019 campaign centered on limiting oligarchic power and expanding transparency.
Now, nearly seven years later—and with elections postponed under wartime conditions—some Ukrainians see Zelenskyy as increasingly dependent on a small, powerful inner circle operating with limited checks.
Investigators say some of the laundered funds were intended for equipment to protect energy infrastructure from Russian missile strikes. Ukraine continues to endure rolling blackouts, with many residents getting only five to eight hours of electricity per day as Russia targets power systems heading into winter.
Last week, the European Commission praised Ukraine’s “significant efforts” against corruption but warned that “limited progress” could threaten its European Union accession bid. The commission also said reports of political pressure on anti-corruption groups “cast doubt on Ukraine’s commitment” to reform and urged Kyiv to avoid any rollback of its recent gains.
