Transparency International: Ukraine's fight against corruption stagnated in 2021

Ukraine has slipped in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) released annually by the watchdog Transparency International.

In 2021, Ukraine earned 32 points out of 100, one point less than in the previous year. It placed 122nd out of 180 countries analyzed.

"This decline in error indicates a period of stagnation. The authorities are delaying the implementation of many important anti-corruption promises," said Andriy Borovik, executive director of Transparency International Ukraine.

Compared to its neighbors, Ukraine was only ahead of Russia, which placed 136th, with 29 points. Slovakia improved the most, gaining 3 points, while Belarus was the worst performer, dropping 6 points.

The report highlighted that Ukraine's improvements were not enough to outweigh the negatives in the corruption fight.

The report attributed several factors to Ukraine's poor performance last year. The main factors were the delayed judicial reform, anti-monopoly legislation, and the Constitutional Court's interference in anti-corruption work.

The failure to form an independent and professional judiciary had the largest impact on Ukraine's score. Implementing an independent judiciary was among Transparency International's five recommendations to improve Ukraine's score in 2022.

The watchdog also recommended adopting an anti-corruption strategy, implementing constitutional reform and increasing transparency.