Ukraine has received an official letter from the White House on the reforms that need to be implemented for the country's speedy European integration. Find out what the letter says and how the Ukrainian authorities have responded to the new conditions

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According to an official statement on the website of the US Embassy in Ukraine, the White House handed over a letter to Kyiv with a list of priority reforms for Ukraine's speedy integration into Europe. Earlier, it was reported that the letter contained "conditions for military assistance," but these rumors were dispelled by officials of both countries.

"As part of an ongoing dialogue with Ukraine and stakeholders in Ukraine's future success, the United States provided a proposed list of priority reforms for discussion and feedback at the Multi-Stakeholder Donor Coordination Platform for Ukraine in Brussels. This list was provided as a basis for consultations with the Government of Ukraine and key partners as part of our continued support for Ukraine and its efforts to integrate into Europe, a goal that the United States strongly supports," the US Embassy said in a statement.

Read more about the results of Zelenskyy's latest visit to the United States here.

What the letter from the US says: key points

According to Ukrayinska Pravda, the list of reforms submitted is a preliminary "working draft" and is subject to further consideration. The document contains proposals divided into groups according to the priority of their implementation: 0-3 months, 3-6 months, 12 months, 18 months.

The key reforms that Ukraine needs to implement were highlighted in the US:

- Priorities for 0-3 months: changes in the work of the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO), the National Anti-Corruption Bureau, the High Council of Justice, and the National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption (NAPC). In particular, it is about strengthening the independence of the agencies and expanding their powers.

- Priorities for six months: integrity checks of current judges and increasing their number in the High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) + HACC reform, creation of the High Administrative Court (HACC).

- Priorities for the year: restarting the judicial system (the process of selecting and evaluating judges), reforming the CCU, and changes to the competition for the head of the Asset Recovery and Management Agency (ARMA). The US also proposes to reform the Ministry of Defense to NATO standards, strengthen the Accounting Chamber and the State Audit Service, and liberalize natural gas and electricity tariffs.

- The priorities for the next year and a half include reorganizing the Bureau of Economic Security (BES), reforming the Ministry of Strategic Industries and Industry, reforming Ukroboronprom, completing the reform of the Prosecutor General's Office with re-certification of employees, and reforming customs and the State Border Guard Service. The U.S. also emphasizes the importance of transparent selection to the National Police of Ukraine and limiting the powers of the Security Service of Ukraine.

The letter also emphasizes the need to restore the declaration of assets and open a registry, but Ukraine has already actually fulfilled this point, as the relevant law was adopted on September 20.

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How has Ukraine responded to the proposed reforms?

First of all, the Ukrainian authorities emphasized that the letter from the United States is not an ultimatum and is only a proposal from the partners. This was stated by Mykhailo Podolyak, Advisor to the Head of the Presidential Office, during a telethon.

"We are pragmatic and rational about any proposals from our partners. This is a proposal, not an ultimatum. Such proposals are made because the war requires certain reforms," Podolyak said.

He also added that it is about the strategic priorities of both Ukraine and its allies.

"Our partners say: look, if russia is able to invest some of its resources in continuing the war, and even if russia loses, Ukraine needs to look different. We need to understand our strategic priorities. That is, both we and our partners need to understand where to invest money," said the advisor to the head of the OP.

At the same time, some Ukrainian diplomats emphasize that Ukraine should take the proposed reforms very seriously. In particular, former Foreign Minister and head of the Center for russian Studies Volodymyr Ohryzko said in an interview with Radio NV that the country has already received many such proposals and warnings, and therefore should respond to the letter from the United States accordingly.

"I don't see any sensation here - all these things have already been said and discussed more than a dozen times. Remember how many of the same proposals, or warnings, or comments were sent to us by the ambassadors of the G7 countries. So many times, I've lost count! Therefore, this is another repetition, but not just "you should do it," but with a clear link and a clear condition: either Ukraine moves forward or it is left alone with its problems," he said.

We remind you! A political scandal has erupted in Canada over the honoring of a Ukrainian who served in a German unit during World War II. Read more about who Jaroslav Hunka is and why Anthony Rota was forced to apologize for his words in our previous article.

Photo: Shutterstock

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