Treasury official says budget assistance designed to help Ukraine anti-corruption efforts
Just back from a visit to Ukraine, a U.S. Treasury official is describing a country whose wartime economy has proven resilient in the face of Russia’s invasion, and he says U.S. and allied budget assistance is designed to help Ukraine combat corruption...
WASHINGTON — Just back from a visit to Ukraine, a U.S. Treasury official on Tuesday described a country whose wartime economy has proven resilient in the face of Russia's invasion and said U.S. and allies' budget assistance is designed to help the nation combat corruption and increase transparency.
His comments come as Ukraine seeks to join NATO but has been blocked in part by political corruption scandals. Transparency International ranks Ukraine poorly, 122nd in its Corruption Perceptions Index of countries.
Brent Neiman, deputy undersecretary for international finance, said in a speech that Ukraine, which receives hundreds of billions in financial support from the U.S. and allied nations, needs to undertake reforms to “reduce the likelihood for conflicts of interest and corruption.”
Neiman, speaking to the Atlantic Council think tank, described positive macroeconomic signs including new business registrations, a shift in trade routes to the Danube river and train passenger levels that are back to pre-war levels.
Still, the National Bank of Ukraine's growth estimate for 2024 was recently downgraded to 3% Neiman says, and manufacturing facilities in concentrated areas are vulnerable to bombardment.
The U.S. has provided roughly $175 billion to Ukraine, according to the Council on Foreign Relations.
Neiman laid out recommended anti-corruption steps that Ukraine has taken, including having public office holders report their asset holdings, insulating Ukraine’s
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