DISINFO: Zelenskyy stole more money than all Ukrainian presidents combined
SUMMARY
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has managed to steal more than all other Ukrainian presidents combined. Tens of millions of dollars are transferred every month from every government body to Zelenskyy’s office. From the Odessa region alone, $10-15 million are transferred every month, and the income from the Ukrainian conscription service ranges from $2 to $4 billion a year.
RESPONSE
Recurrent pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative personally targeting the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, accusing him of corruption, all in the context of the Russia's unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
No reputable sources or investigations have substantiated claims that funds go from the different Ukrainian regions to "Zelenskyy's office", let alone that he won $2-4 billion a year from conscription. Ukraine’s use of public and international funds, especially during wartime, is subject to scrutiny by domestic watchdogs and international partners.
President Zelenskyy himself ran in the 2019 election on an anti-corruption platform and have made progress on this front. While challenges remain due to war disruptions, the Ukrainian state is still capable of tracking corruption and holding corrupt officials accountable. For example, President Zelenskyy fired in August 2023 military recruitment chiefs amid corruption concerns. Additionally, the Ukrainian Parliament dismissed the agriculture minister due to the alleged involvement in illegal acquisition of state-owned land.
Moreover, President Zelenskyy himself oversaw the tracking down of corrupt conscription officers, and equated bribery in war time to "high treason".
Read also similar stories that Zelenskyy's mother-in-law uses war money to buy luxury houses, that Volodymyr Zelenskyy will steal money from the EU, that Zelenskyy sends his soldiers to be slaughtered for Western money, and that Zelenskyy and the Kyiv junta need to continue the war against Russia to enrich themselves with Western aid.