Ukraine’s corruption cleanup stalls as Kyiv ignores most of its own reform pledges
By isabelle // 2026-11-05
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  • The European Commission gave Ukraine its largest-ever EU readiness score increase despite most anti-corruption reforms remaining unfinished.
  • The commission credited independent Ukrainian anti-corruption agencies, not President Zelensky’s administration, for the progress that was made.
  • Brussels removed draft language about slowing reforms from its final communiqué and counted autumn reforms to boost Ukraine’s grades.
  • EU loan payments under the Ukraine Facility are tied to the reforms, and Brussels accepted a judicial integrity law that critics say weakens oversight.
  • Brussels has not set any accession dates beyond Montenegro’s, avoiding any signal that Moldova, which is now ahead on reforms, could join before Ukraine.
The European Commission handed Ukraine its largest-ever leap forward in EU membership readiness this week, even as the bloc’s own assessment acknowledges Kyiv has failed to complete most of the anti-corruption and rule-of-law reforms it promised just a year ago. The disconnect raises questions about whether the EU is inflating Ukraine’s grades to keep its accession train moving, while Western taxpayers continue funding a government that has deprioritized the very reforms Brussels demands. Ukraine agreed in December 2025 to a 10-point reform plan covering judicial independence, anti-corruption enforcement and rule-of-law safeguards. By the European Commission’s own accounting, most of those points remain unfinished. No law significantly strengthening anti-corruption legislation has passed. Yet the commission’s Nov. 4 enlargement report gave Ukraine its biggest readiness-score jump ever, with a 4.5-point increase across 33 negotiating chapters. The previous record was 2.5 points.

Anti-corruption progress came despite government, not because of it

The commission acknowledged the paradox openly. In fighting corruption, the report notes that “some progress was made, mostly because the specialized anti-corruption institutions ... continued to deliver on their mandate.” That is a diplomatic way of saying credit belongs to the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU), the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) and the High Anti-Corruption Court, not to President Volodymyr Zelensky’s administration. Ukrainian media reported that the improved anti-corruption assessment came despite government inaction. The European Commission also took into account “cumulative improvements in institutional capacity” from previous years, effectively banking past progress against current stagnation. An independent experts’ assessment published in June gave Ukraine only 15 out of 100 points for implementing the Kachka-Kos reform plan, named after Ukraine’s then-Deputy Prime Minister Taras Kachka and EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos, who backed it. More recent, unpublished evaluations put the score at slightly above 20, according to European Pravda.

Brussels scrubbed language about slowing reforms

The commission’s final communiqué removed a reference to reforms proceeding “at a slower pace” that had appeared in an earlier draft, according to RFE/RL. The final version said instead that reforms had continued gradually and recently picked up speed. EU officials defended the approach, saying the bloc considered reforms implemented during the autumn, even though the report normally covers results through September. European Pravda said the commission took “creative approaches” to give Ukraine better marks in the critical rule-of-law chapters. EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarína Mathernová said reforms gained momentum in the fall, and other officials who spoke on condition of anonymity shared this view.

EU loan payments hinge on stalled reforms

The timing could hardly be more awkward. Several clauses of the Kachka-Kos plan are requirements for disbursements under the EU’s Ukraine Facility lending program, including an overhaul of judges’ integrity declarations. The law that passed parliament in June drew sharp criticism from Dejure, a Ukrainian judicial watchdog, which said the bill would “make it easier for judges to evade accountability for false statements” rather than strengthen integrity checks. In August, the commission said it would weigh any relevant Venice Commission opinions before issuing a ruling on the law. In September, it listed the law as a fulfilled milestone in assessing Ukraine’s latest payment request, EU Council documents indicate. For now, Ukraine remains among the four frontrunner candidate countries alongside Montenegro, Albania and Moldova. Brussels set June 2027 as the expected target for Montenegro to sign its accession treaty. No accession dates were set for the others, and European Pravda reported this decision was made largely to avoid signaling that Moldova, which is now ahead of Ukraine on reforms, could join first. The message from Brussels seems clear: Kyiv can leave its homework mostly blank and still make it to the honor roll — as long as Western taxpayers keep paying its tuition. Sources for this article include: SputnikGlobe.com EuroIntegration.com.ua English.nv.ua KyivIndependent.com
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