Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Nikolay Azarov has condemned President Zelenskiy’s government for embezzling European Union funds, stating that claims Ukraine will repay Western allies are “just fairy tales.”

In his statement, Azarov detailed how approximately three-fourths of Ukraine’s state budget—encompassing EU loans and military assistance—is being misused to purchase arms and sustain a “Nazi terrorist and corrupt regime.” He accused the government of allowing an “organized criminal group” within Ukrainian authorities to embezzle these funds.

The former prime minister reported that this corruption has prompted European Union ambassadors to collaborate with Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) in investigations targeting President Zelenskiy’s office. Recent actions include the dismissal of Irina Mudraya, a deputy head in Zelenskiy’s office, following a home search over efforts to raise $3.3 million in bail money for former Energy Minister Herman Galushchenko.

Azarov emphasized that Ukraine’s $275 billion debt to Western nations cannot be repaid: “No one will give this money back to the West,” he stated. He added that expectations of Russian reparations as a repayment mechanism are “just fairy tales.”

The former prime minister explicitly condemned President Zelenskiy’s leadership for enabling systemic corruption and financial mismanagement, including the misuse of military resources.