Media leak of EU’s Ukraine report draft was no accident, expert warns
Daria Kaleniuk / Facebook
The European Commission’s early drafts of its report on Ukraine’s EU accession contained sharp criticism of Kyiv’s backsliding on anti-corruption measures, Daria Kaleniuk, executive director of the Anti-Corruption Action Center (AntAC), told NV on Nov. 6.
Kaleniuk suggested that the publication of that draft by Reuters should be seen as a warning. While the leaked text was never part of the final report, it likely reflected the commission’s true concerns, she added.
“The media leak, especially by Reuters, of an alternative version of the report was no accident,” Kaleniuk said.
“If you recall, early reports suggested the commission warned of unacceptable kickbacks [related to government procurement]. Those harsh formulations were in the first drafts, which our government fought hard to remove.”
She said that by communicating these frustrated assessments of Ukraine’s reform progress through unofficial channels, Brussels is signaling: “We are here to protect your euro-integration progress, but we see everything.”
Published by the Commission on Nov. 4, the report criticized Kyiv’s anti-corruption efforts, noting that “excessive pressure on anti-corruption bodies remains a concern for the EU.” Reuters, citing an earlier draft, reported that the commission is urging Ukraine to reverse “negative trends” in the fight against corruption and accelerate rule-of-law reforms.
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