ČRo Plus | Will the New Anti-Corruption Law Restore the Trust of the Ukrainian public?

If the EU does indeed suspend financial assistance to Ukraine, it would put significant pressure on Ukraine to deliver what it has promised. If this were true, it would not be a surprising move - the European Commission has taken similar action in other cases. In principle, whenever a country expresses an interest in joining the EU, the talks begin with chapters on the functioning of government, the rule of law, the independence of the judiciary and the ability to independently investigate, for example, corruption or subsidy fraud.

EU financial assistance is helping Ukraine to keep its public administration running in wartime conditions. For the Ukrainian side, the possible suspension is very unpleasant - the country is de facto dependent on foreign aid and, after Donald Trump, even more so on European aid. The pressure from the European Commission is therefore likely to produce results, but it is nevertheless a very sensitive situation. This case represents reputational damage to Ukraine, although probably not serious enough to jeopardise its prospects of joining the EU.

It is important for Ukraine to hear repeatedly that it has prospects of joining the EU, that it is driving reforms and that it is boosting morale to a level where it will continue to be able to counter Russian attacks.

Listen to the whole interview here.