President Joe Biden grappled with the issue as vice president. In 2016, he threatened to withhold a $1 billion loan guarantee if Ukraine’s government did not fire a prosecutor the U.S. considered soft on corruption.
“I’m leaving in six hours. If the prosecutor is not fired, you’re not getting the money,” Biden recalled telling Ukrainian leaders, speaking during a 2018 event. The prosecutor was fired soon after.
U.S. lawmakers greeted Tuesday’s latest corruption crackdown.
“It’s a defining moment for Ukraine. It’s a defining moment for all of us,” Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said at a news conference days after returning from Kyiv.