ONCE an investigative journalist, then an activist, and later a lawmaker, Yehor Soboliev speaks during an interview with Associated Press in Kyiv, Ukraine on May 3, 2024. In all of these roles, he sought to expose corruption in business and government as a way to defend Ukraine’s budding democracy.
Soboliev’s feelings capture a paradox within Ukraine: To beat back Russia and remain a democracy it has felt compelled to temporarily suspend or restrict some democratic ideals. The European Union says Ukraine must reduce corruption before it can join the 27-nation bloc and in November said the country had made “some progress” but needed to do more, especially on “high-level cases.” Ukraine’s defense minister, agriculture minister, top prosecutor, intelligence chief, and other senior officials have been pushed out over the past two years, and last year the head of the Supreme Court was arrested for allegedly taking bribes.
But some Ukrainians grumble about the power Zelenskyy has accumulated. Criticism of him grew last year after Ukraine’s failed counter-offensive, and political rivals are testing the ground. “Russia formally had elections in March, but that doesn’t mean that Russia is a democratic state,” she said. “We need real democracy in Ukraine for development, not fake democracy as Russia has.”Soon after the invasion, a handful of Ukrainian TV networks combined resources to create one 24-7 channel, the “United News Telemarathon,” as a way to ensure continuity.
In Reporters Without Borders’ 2024 press freedom index, Ukraine was ranked 61st out of 180 countries surveyed, up from 79th last year. The group said the situation is improving, citing a reduction in political interference, an outspoken media and the decision in May to readmit reporters to cover parliament.
With Ukraine’s outnumbered troops facing repeated attempts to push them back by Russia’s much larger army, the government in April lowered the conscription age and announced that it was suspending passport renewals and consular services for men of conscription age who are outside the country. In the latest survey, respondents conveyed that “Ukraine is a democratic state, but not a full democracy,” the institute’s executive director, Anton Grushetskyi, said.
More than two years after Putin escalated with a full-scale invasion, many Ukrainians are tired and traumatized by a war in which victory feels remote. But, by and large, they do not feel powerless to influence events, something experts say is key to the country’s resilience.