We all agree: The greatest threat facing Ukraine, after its war with Russia, is corruption. But few agree how to do so, though it should not be that difficult.In 1998, Ukraine’s main gas importer, Ihor Bakai, stated that “all rich people in Ukraine made their money on Russian gas.” The technique was simple. A Ukrainian trader would receive monopoly rights to buy cheap gas from Russia’s Gazprom—often financed with Russian credits—then sell it at a much higher price in Ukraine. In return, that trader was supposed to buy Ukraine’s rulers to the Kremlin’s benefit. After Ukraine’s 2004 Orange Revolution, Bakai …read more
Source: Atlantic Council
