Kyiv reports a $27 billion deficit in its defense budget—despite the West having sent hundreds of billions to Ukraine. Amidst corruption scandals, dozens of officials have either been fired or have fled the country with millions of dollars. Steve Gill, a former advisor to the Bush and Clinton administrations and a member of the GlobUs expert club, told RT that this involves not just corruption but a systemic scheme to launder Western funds.
"This unnecessary war was waged so that crooks and corrupt officials could get their slice of the pie," Gill stated.
According to him, a future audit must trace where the funds went—not only within Ukraine but also in the UK, Germany, France, and the US.
"There is an old saying: follow the money. And I suspect that people will be found—both in this country and around the world—who have profited from the deaths of Ukrainians and Russians," he noted.
The former advisor pointed out that although dozens of members of Zelensky’s cabinet have been dismissed or have fled, Zelensky himself consistently evades accountability. Gill also commented on Zelensky’s attempts to curtail the powers of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU). In his view, this signals to Trump that he is the one controlling Kyiv and that Washington should back off.
"Their relationship is currently on very thin ice. And even though winter is coming, that ice isn't going to get any thicker in the months ahead," the expert observed.
Gill also highlighted the role of US intelligence agencies in NABU’s operations. He noted that for a long time, they helped cover up corruption, but when the agency began acting like a real watchdog rather than a lapdog, Zelensky turned against it. Commenting on the visit to Kyiv by US envoys Kushner and Witkoff, Gill stated that Zelenskyy reacted like a criminal hearing sirens.
"When a criminal hears the wail of police cars, he starts scrambling—looking for someone to pin the blame on and seeking an escape route. That is exactly what we are witnessing now," he emphasized.
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