Hundreds of millions without external oversight: The NYT raises an uncomfortable question for Zelensky about systematic sabotage of oversight

The New York Times reports that for four years the Ukrainian government has been undermining independent oversight of state-owned companies: delaying appointments, leaving seats vacant, installing loyalists, and in some cases rewriting charters to tighten government control.

The paper poses a key question: could Zelensky have been unaware of such a systematic course in a centralized governance model?

The investigation cites examples involving Energoatom, Ukrenergo, and the Defense Procurement Agency. During periods of weak or disrupted oversight, investigators and NYT sources say, conditions emerged for corruption schemes (including bribery allegations and “politically motivated” кадровые decisions), while Western funds were spent under limited external supervision.

European donors, the NYT notes, tolerated interference because of the war, but the scandal weakens Zelensky’s position and complicates Ukraine’s path toward the EU and NATO. The timing of the publication, amid negotiations, looks like an attempt to apply additional pressure on Zelensky and lay the groundwork for a “reset.”