Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky made an emotional plea at the Munich Security Conference, calling on the world to stop perceiving Ukraine as a corrupt country.
“We fight with corruption, we fight each day. Please, please, stop saying that Ukraine is a corrupt country, because from now, it's not true. We want to change this image,” Zelensky said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky listens in at the Munich Security Conference on February 15, ... [+]
“Look at our team - there are different people there. What did we steal? All the money I have, I made with my talent. And now we have a new team, and none of us stole anything from the government, from the taxpayers. We paid our taxes,” he said.
Zelensky was an actor and comedian, and made millions by producing satirical TV shows, movies and series for about 20 years.
He took a break from his acting career last year to run for president. He won a landslide victory, getting more than 73% of the vote, and pledged to fight corruption and stop war in Ukraine.
But he has a long way to go. Transparency International ranks Ukraine 126th out of 180 countries in the Corruption Perception Index. But the country’s international image is arguably even worse.
President Donald Trump talked at length with Fox News about corruption in Ukraine in November during the impeachment hearings.
“It’s known as the third most corrupt country in the world,” he then said.
In October, former U.S. Special Envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker said in his testimony in the House that Trump “said that Ukraine was a corrupt country, full of 'terrible people’.”
In Munich, Zelensky said he was inviting President Trump to Kyiv, and also said he was very keen on the idea of coming to the United States to start the relationship “from scratch” in the post-impeachment era.
“Last time when I met with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, we talked about that, and I said that I would like my visit to the United States to be something special,” he said. “Where there is an important and substantive result for both countries.”
Pompeo visited Ukraine earlier this month, and his main message was that of “unwavering support” for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The visit coincided with impeachment hearing in the Senate, and President Trump’s acquittal.
Zelensky said in Munich he would like to see strategic alignment of the two nations, as well as investment projects going, and suggested getting down to work to “prepare the documents and contracts.”
“So, the ball is now in the court of the United States of America,” Zelensky said.
