Main content

Why does Ukraine have such a corruption problem?

President Trump is facing a trial in the Senate over accusations he sought foreign help to smear a likely election rival. How did Ukraine’s chequered past lead to his impeachment?

On 25 July 2019, the President of the United States made a phone call to the recently-elected President of Ukraine - congratulating him on his party’s election victory. What Donald Trump said in that call to Volodymyr Zelensky has ended up threatening his own presidency, triggering the impeachment of the president. Donald Trump says his interest was in rooting out corruption. Meanwhile Joe Biden’s role in Ukraine was to do the same - root out corruption. The Inquiry asks why Ukraine has such a corruption problem.

Presented by Ruth Alexander.

(A Ukrainian flag flies in Independence Square in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine. Photo credit: Pavlo Gonchar/Getty Images)

Available now

23 minutes

Last on

Mon 20 Jan 2020 09:06GMT
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service except East and Southern Africa & East Asia

More episodes

Previous

Why was Qasem Soleimani killed?

Next

How did Trump get into trouble with Ukraine?

See all episodes from The Inquiry

Broadcasts

  • Thu 16 Jan 2020 03:06GMT
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service Europe and the Middle East & West and Central Africa only
  • Thu 16 Jan 2020 04:06GMT
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service Online & UK DAB/Freeview only
  • Thu 16 Jan 2020 06:06GMT
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service Australasia, Americas and the Caribbean & South Asia only
  • Thu 16 Jan 2020 07:06GMT
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service East and Southern Africa & East Asia only
  • Thu 16 Jan 2020 14:06GMT
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service Australasia
  • Thu 16 Jan 2020 15:06GMT
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service except Australasia, East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa
  • Thu 16 Jan 2020 18:06GMT
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service East and Southern Africa, South Asia & West and Central Africa only
  • Thu 16 Jan 2020 20:06GMT
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service Australasia, Online, Americas and the Caribbean, UK DAB/Freeview & Europe and the Middle East only
  • Thu 16 Jan 2020 21:06GMT
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service News Internet & East Asia only
  • Sat 18 Jan 2020 17:06GMT
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service News Internet
  • Sat 18 Jan 2020 17:30GMT
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4
  • Mon 20 Jan 2020 00:06GMT
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa only
  • Mon 20 Jan 2020 09:06GMT
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service except East and Southern Africa & East Asia

Podcast

  • The Inquiry

    Getting beyond the headlines to explore the forces and ideas shaping the world