White House discusses anti-corruption efforts with Ukrainian official

The White House shared the information in a statement.

The Ukrainian delegation included the director of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine Semen Kryvonos, Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor Oleksandr Klymenko, and the Chief Justice of the High Anti-Corruption Court Vira Mykhailenko. They discussed the progress Ukraine has made in combating corruption and safeguarding the autonomy of these crucial institutions.

The White House said in the statement that Sullivan emphasized the vital importance to any democratic society of independent, impartial law enforcement and judicial institutions capable of investigating, prosecuting and adjudicating corruption cases wherever they lead.

The US also reaffirmed its unwavering support for Ukraine's anti-corruption reforms and Ukraine's courageous defense of its democracy against Russian aggression.

• On August 27, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he would submit an initiative to the parliament to equate wartime corruption with high treason.

• Following the Verkhovna Rada's support for the president's proposal to equate wartime corruption with high treason, the government intends to authorize both the Security Service of Ukraine and the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine to investigate corruption cases involving amounts exceeding UAH 24 million, as reported by Ukrainska Pravda and ZN.ua.

• On August 30, a bill proposing to equate corruption crimes with high treason was submitted to the Verkhovna Rada. This bill is not a presidential initiative; it was initiated by a group of MPs.