Fox News host Bret Baier put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the spot Monday, confronting him with questions about corruption allegations swirling around Kyiv as the United States continues to bankroll Ukraine’s war effort.
Zelenskyy met Sunday with President Donald Trump in Florida to discuss a proposed 20-point peace plan, after which Trump said they joined multiple European leaders on follow-up calls during a joint press conference. As talks between the two presidents moved forward, Baier pressed Zelenskyy during an interview on “Special Report with Bret Baier” about lingering concerns over corruption, citing raids tied to an alleged $100 million kickback scheme and criminal charges against senior Ukrainian officials.
“You had, in recent days, Ukraine’s anti-corruption agency raided government offices in parliament, tied to this $100 million kickback scheme involving members tied to you. There were five suspects, including your ally, Timur Mindich, as well as your justice minister, who were charged last month with money laundering,” Baier said to Zelenskyy. “And then you had anti-corruption officers raid the home of your former chief of staff, Andriy Yermak. He has not been charged, but he did resign. This is happening. So what do you say to people about the concern about corruption inside Ukraine today?”
Zelenskyy defended his government’s record and said those institutions are independent. He also said investigators act on their own authority and pursue cases regardless of personal or political proximity to him.
“Look, I’m focusing on the war. What about anti-corruption agencies? They do what they have to do. They have all their independence. Nobody is stopping there. They are checking what they have to do, and we are not stopping,” Zelenskyy said. “It doesn’t matter what person, close or not, we know them or not, or we don’t. I mean, they have to do their work. This is war. This is democracy in the same way. Yes, and we have to respect it.”
Zelenskyy acknowledged mounting concerns over corruption but said Russia’s invasion shattered normal governance from the outset.
“Of course, a lot of concerns. You know, the problem is, Bret, that from the very beginning of the war, all the institutions, they didn’t work. And a lot of steps [of] governmental institutions did, you know, like during the war. I don’t know if you understand. I think you understand,” Zelenskyy said.
In November, Zelenskyy faced a corruption issue that threatened to weaken his grip on power and undercut the anti-corruption image he campaigned on. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine launched an investigation into Mindich, Zelenskyy’s business partner accused of laundering roughly $100 million from the country’s nuclear energy company. While investigators have not directly implicated Zelenskyy, his subsequent efforts to curb their independence drew sharp scrutiny.
Despite the corruption issue surrounding Zelenskyy, Congress is advancing a compromise defense bill that adds roughly $400 million in military funding for Ukraine as the war with Russia drags into its fourth year. The bicameral draft of the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act is expected to reach Trump’s desk before year’s end.
