It seems obvious that Mr. Shokin's assertions as to his "intent" are very suspect:
The United States and other Western nations had for months called for the ousting of Mr. Shokin, who was widely criticized for turning a
blind eye to corrupt practices and for
defending the interests of a venal and entrenched elite. He was one of several political figures in Kiev whom reformers and Western diplomats saw as a worrying indicator of a return to
past corrupt practices, two years after a revolution that was supposed to put a stop to self-dealing by those in power.
As the problems festered, Kiev drew increasingly sharp criticism from Western diplomats and leaders. In a visit in December, Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. said corruption was eating Ukraine “like a cancer.” Christine Lagarde, the managing director of the
International Monetary Fund, which props up Ukraine financially, said last month that progress was so slow in fighting corruption that
“it’s hard to see how the I.M.F.-supported program can continue.”
The notion that Biden acted in isolation is simply false!
A Republican Conspiracy Theory About a Biden-in-Ukraine Scandal Has Gone Mainstream. But It Is Not True.
