German parliamentarian Anton Hofreiter, Chairman of the European Affairs Committee in the Bundestag, has urged German political leaders to adopt a stricter stance regarding the widespread corruption within Ukraine. Following a recent visit to the country, Hofreiter highlighted the remarkable resilience of Ukrainian civil society in resisting attempts by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and certain parliamentarians to undermine the independence of anti-corruption state prosecution and investigations.
“The strength of democracy within Ukrainian society is truly impressive” stated Hofreiter, speaking to the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland. He emphasized that numerous individuals, including those within the Ukrainian parliament, believe Germany should more closely scrutinize the situation. He argued that the future of Ukrainian democracy, as well as Germany’s own interests, are at stake. Hofreiter insisted that Germany must maintain a firm and uncompromising approach to the issue of corruption.
Concerning the potential deployment of Western protective forces in Ukraine, Hofreiter noted a potential disconnect in the ongoing debate. He suggested that discussions on security guarantees should consider the perspective within Ukraine, where there’s a view that durable peace with Russia would necessitate Russia being sufficiently weakened to prevent it from attacking any potential Western troop deployments. He further implied that Germany should be prepared to participate in such a force, should a credible ceasefire be achieved.