USAID to strengthen fight against corruption in Ukraine

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) plans to focus on fighting corruption in Ukraine and beyond.

USAID Administrator Samantha Power said this at the Democracy in Action: Zero Corruption Conference on June 7, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"In the coming weeks, USAID will stand up an anti-corruption task force that will elevate, strengthen, and integrate anti-corruption work throughout our whole Agency, drawing on the knowledge of top internal and external experts to counter corruption in Ukraine and beyond," Power said.

According to her, this task force "will shape our anti-corruption policy commitments." "We will conduct a comprehensive review of our programs to identify how our foreign assistance, whether it is for judicial reform or global health programs, can best be put to use to limit and prevent graft," the diplomat said.

She clarified that the task force was going to establish a rapid response mechanism so that "we can quickly seize on crucial windows of opportunity for democratic and anti-corruption reform."

"President Biden's new budget commits $50 million for this new rapid response effort, and we look forward to expanding on these commitments and encouraging other nations to make their own at an upcoming International Democracy Summit that President Biden, himself, is going to chair," Power added.