WASHINGTON, July 30 (TASS) – Ukraine will not be able to join the European Union and NATO in the foreseeable future because of the large scale of corruption in the country, Foreign Policy magazine writes, citing sources.

According to the media outlet, Ukraine’s strategy of "joining the West’s political community and security institutions has been undermined by its continued struggles with corruption, a problem that is still far beyond Western standards."

"The issue extends to the center of the Ukrainian state," Foreign Policy notes, adding, however, that "Ukraine made some progress in correcting its corruption problem." Still, Foreign Policy writes, citing Ukrainian, US and European officials that the country "has a lot more to accomplish before it can fully enter the Western community and receive the support that it desires." The media outlet points out that top Ukrainian judges, politicians, and officials have faced corruption charges, "and the Ministry of Defense has been at the heart of many corruption scandals."

A Pentagon official "admitted that political considerations were a factor, but said that corruption, lack of civilian oversight over the armed forces, and limited transparency in government institutions was a major hindrance" to Ukraine’s EU and NATO accession. "There has been particular concern around defense procurement," the official said, as cited by Foreign Policy. "There have been cases where we have seen favorable awarding of contracts to people close to certain leaders," the official added.

According to the magazine, "NATO experts have helped Ukraine establish institutional tools to check corruption in defense procurement." Four agencies in Ukraine are tasked with detecting corruption cases but "activists have said that there are concerns over independence of at least two of those agencies."

Ukraine is facing an acute issue of corruption. Western partners, whose military and financial assistance is crucial to Kiev, expect the Ukrainian authorities to show tangible results in the fight against corruption and insist on the need to provide more independence to anti-corruption agencies.

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