Treasury official says budget assistance designed to help Ukraine anti-corruption efforts

By FATIMA HUSSEIN
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Just back from a visit to Ukraine, a U.S. Treasury official is describing a country whose wartime economy has proven resilient in the face of Russia’s invasion, and he says U.S. and allied budget assistance is designed to help Ukraine combat corruption and increase transparency. On Tuesday, Deputy Undersecretary Brent Neiman laid out anti-corruption steps including having public office holders report their asset holdings and insulating Ukraine’s anti-corruption prosecutor’s office from political pressure. Ukraine has a long-standing request to become a member of NATO but has been blocked in part by political corruption scandals. Transparency International ranks Ukraine 122nd in its Corruption Perceptions Index of countries.