Corruption is widespread in Ukrainian society. In 2012 Ernst & Young put Ukraine among the three most-corrupt nations from 43 surveyed, alongside Colombia and Brazil. In 2015 The Guardian called Ukraine "the most corrupt nation in Europe". According to a
poll conducted by Ernst & Young in 2017, experts considered Ukraine to be the 9th-most corrupt nation from 53 surveyed. According to Transparency International's 2021 Corruption Perceptions Index, (a scale of least to most corrupt nations), Ukraine
ranked 122nd out of 180 countries in 2021, the second most corrupt in Europe, with Russia the most at 136.
U.S. diplomats described Ukraine under Presidents Kuchma (in office from 1994-2005) and Yushchenko (in office from 2005-2010) as a kleptocracy, according to WikiLeaks cables.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corruption_in_Ukraine
According to the US Agency for Int'l Development (USAID), the main causes of corruption in Ukraine are a weak justice system and an over-controlling non-transparent government combined with business-political ties and a weak civil society. Corruption is
regularly discussed in the Ukrainian media.
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Corruption is perceived as a significant problem in Russia, impacting various aspects of life, including the economy, business, public administration, law enforcement, healthcare, and education. The phenomenon of corruption is strongly established in the
historical model of public governance, and attributed to general weakness of rule of law in the country. Russia was the lowest rated European country in Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index for 2021; ranking 136th out of 180
countries. It has, under the regime of Vladimir Putin, been variously characterized as a kleptocracy, an oligarchy, and a plutocracy; owing to its crony capitalism economic system.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corruption_in_Russia
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Anti-Corruption Foundation is a nonprofit based in Moscow established in 2011 by activist/politician Alexey Navalny. Its main goal is to investigate and to expose corruption cases among high-ranking Russian officials, which they have been successfully
doing for the last few years.
Navalny has frequently publicized problems with the corrupt apparatus loyal to Putin. Him and the Anti-Corruption Foundation have a large Russian social media presence, which, along with the general lack of interest in social media involvement from the
Russian Govt, brings this part of the Russian opposition a considerable following among the younger and more educated Russian population.
This NGO throughout its existence has carried out several investigations and has presented different reports with regard to the involvement of high-level officials in corruption. However, these materials have been neglected by the criminal justice system
and have only been taken into account in order to discredit this organization.
In 2019, the Anti-Corruption Foundation was recognized by a Russian court as a foreign agent. In 2021, a trial was launched to recognize the organization as extremist and to liquidate it.
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