The European Commission is not commenting on the specific case of Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko accusing the National Anti-Corruption Bureau, but it is reminding that the fight against corruption is crucial for any country intending to obtain membership of the European Union.
This was stated at a briefing by European Commission spokesman for enlargement Guillaume Mercier, responding to journalists’ request to comment on events in Ukraine, Interfax-Ukraine reports.
"We are aware of how recent events are developing, but, as you know, we do not comment on individual cases. Let me clearly set out our position on corruption: the EU adheres to a zero-tolerance policy towards corruption, and we remind that the fight against corruption is a key element for any country seeking to join the EU," Mercier said.
He stressed that the EU has always emphasised that independent anti-corruption bodies are a guarantee of the rule of law in Ukraine, as a future EU member state.
"They must be protected, and they must be able to properly carry out their work," the spokesman added.
Context
On 4 September, NABU and SAP said they had carried out a special operation to expose a criminal organisation led by an official from the Office of the Prosecutor General. According to NABU and SAP, members of the organisation, created in 2025, may be involved in providing protection for a network of fraudulent call centres and in laundering assets.
Five people are under suspicion. The conversations among those involved also mention a "Boss" — a person who directed Kropyva. As of now, no suspicion has been announced against this person. Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko says he is not involved in the case.
On the morning of 14 September, Kravchenko published a seven-minute video address in which he accused NABU and SAP of gaining access to materials relating to employees of these bodies. These materials, he said, were allegedly obtained during searches of the OPG’s premises in the "Carthage" case.
President Zelensky promptly responded to Kravchenko’s statement and said there is only one path for him — dismissal.
It is currently known that Kravchenko has gone to Paris for five days for a PACE conference.
NABU and SAP view the Prosecutor General’s statements as a continuation of a systematic attack on the anti-corruption bodies, the active phase of which began last summer, when there were attempts to subordinate them to the Office of the Prosecutor General. NABU also reported that as of now, no notice of suspicion has been served on Kryvonos.