Meanwhile in Ukraine – corruption continues and the US House of Reps and the EU votes for more 'aid' so that more of the same can continue
Ukraine remains one of the most corrupt countries in the world.
From here:
“Ukraine’s High Anti-Corruption Court ordered the pre-trial detention of Andriy Yermak, the powerful former head of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Office and once the country’s second-most influential figure, on money-laundering charges tied to a high-profile corruption scheme.”
“Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) named Yermak a suspect on May 11 in a scheme involving the laundering of approximately 460 million hryvnias (about $10.5 million or €9-10 million).”
“The case comes as Ukraine faces intense pressure to combat high-level graft to advance EU membership and sustain Western support amid the ongoing war with Russia. It has sent shockwaves through Kyiv’s political elite and fueled public frustration over wartime corruption.”
More detail in the ZH article.
And this:
With GOP Help, House Dems Force Vote To Give Another $1.3 Billion To Ukraine | ZeroHedge
“Recent Ukrainian gains have created an opportunity for peace, but the collapse of the recent ceasefire shows that leverage is needed for diplomacy to succeed,” he said in a statement. That will force Johnson to bring a vote to the floor on the Ukraine Support Act, which has three major thrusts:
Reaffirming US support for both Ukraine and NATO, and enacting measures for Ukraine’s reconstruction
$1.3 billion in aid and -- get this -- up to $8 billion more in direct loans that could prove to be LINOs -- loans in name only
More sanctions and export controls on Russia, targeting officials, financial institutions, and the oil and mining sectors
What about the EU I hear you cry! From Brave AI:
“The European Union has approved a €90 billion ($106 billion) loan package for Ukraine, covering the country’s economic and military needs for 2026 and 2027. This package was formally approved in April 2026 after Hungary lifted its veto, with $70 billion of the funds specifically allocated for defense spending, including air defense systems and drone production.
In addition to this new loan, the EU’s broader support includes the Ukraine Facility, which provides up to €50 billion in predictable financial support for the period 2024–2027, with over €36 billion already mobilized. Since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022, the total EU assistance (including financial, humanitarian, and military support) amounts to approximately €200.6 billion, with EU institutions and member states collectively committing around €165.7 billion in bilateral support.”
Here’s the Brave AI take on UK aid to Ukraine:
“The UK government has pledged to sustain military aid at £3 billion per year until at least 2030–31, and “for as long as it takes.” In the 2025–26 financial year alone, the UK provided £4.5 billion in total military financing (including direct aid and ERA funding). Non-military commitments, including humanitarian aid, economic support, and World Bank loan guarantees, total over £5.3 billion.”
And the net impact on the war in the Donbas- again from Brave AI about the last few months of territory swapping:
“Over the two-month period from early March to late April 2026, the net territorial gain is more nuanced due to Ukrainian counterattacks:
March 3–31, 2026: Russian forces lost 12 square miles of previously held Ukrainian territory.
February 3–March 3, 2026: Russian forces had previously gained 46 square miles.
April 2026: Russian General Staff Chief Valery Gerasimov claimed that Russian forces had taken 1,700 square kilometers (approximately 656 square miles) of territory in Ukraine “this year” (2026) as of April 21, though independent analysts note that Ukraine also regained significant ground, including nearly 50 square kilometers in March alone.
While Russia continues to advance in specific sectors like the Donbas, Ukrainian forces have slowed Russia’s overall rate of advance and have recently achieved net gains in localized areas, marking a shift from the previous year’s dynamics.
Hmmm has anyone done a cost per kilometer gained/lost by Ukraine – and the same for Russia?
I suspect that -given my view that Russia’s military objective is to lay wate to as much of Ukraine to create a “neutered zone” it might work out at around 10 billion dollars per square mile and around 25,000 dead and injured per square mile.
All while aid from the US, EU and UK is being siphoned off for personal benefit by corrupt ‘bad actors’ in Ukraine and of course, Russia.
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