On 29-31 January 2025, representatives of the Independent Anti-Corruption Commission (NAKO) made an advocacy trip to Brussels. The visit was attended by Olena Tregub, Executive Director of NAKO, member of the Public Anti-Corruption Council under the Ministry of Defence; Tetiana Nikolaienko, NAKO representative, Deputy Head of the Council; and Anastasiia Shuba, NAKO Associate Researcher, member of the Council.
During the trip, the experts met with MEPs Riho Terras, Helmut Brandstätter, Pekka Toveri, Rasa Juknevičienė, NATO representatives, as well as experts from the European Organisation of Military Associations and Trade Unions, the French MoD research institute IRSEM and the Friends of Europe think-tank.
The main topic of discussion was the reform of Ukraine's security and defence sector and the role of civil society in this process. The scandal involving the Defence Procurement Agency and the Ministry of Defence also attracted particular attention from European partners. Following the meetings, NAKO issued a statement on the situation with the Defence Procurement Agency.
According to Olena Tregub, Europe highly appreciated the involvement of civil society in the processes taking place in Ukraine's defence sector, including ensuring transparency, democratic oversight and support in the fight against corruption. "However, the arms procurement scandal, a violation of corporate governance standards and Ukrainian legislation, has raised serious concerns in Europe. Everyone is waiting for the situation to return to the legal framework, as both NAKO and the Anti-Corruption Council under the Ministry of Defence have already stated. We insist on the reinstatement of the supervisory board and the appointment of a new head of the agency," said Tregub.
According to Anastasiia Shuba, during the advocacy trip NAKO was able to present its European partners with a clear algorithm of actions that would preserve the institutional stability of the Defence Procurement Agency and prevent disruption of arms supplies to the armed forces. "The partners agree that the algorithm of actions we presented would be the right one to overcome the crisis. They want to see the government's efforts to resolve the situation so that they can continue to supply arms and finance arms purchases from Ukrainian manufacturers under the Danish model. And now we have to show that we are responsible enough to admit our mistakes and solve them properly," said Shuba.
For her part, Tetiana Nikolaienko noted that Europe is aware of the need to strengthen its own defence sector and support Ukraine. But the EU's resources, including financial, are not enough to counter the authoritarian regimes of the 'axis of evil'. "The second problem is that many people still believe that the Ukrainian war is the last one, and therefore it is unprofitable to invest for the next 20 years. Europe is leaning towards peace talks, partly because of this point," she said.
After her trip to Brussels, Olena Tregub also stressed the importance of building institutions in Ukraine that Europe can trust, which is what the defence reform should aim at.
Earlier, on 27 January, NAKO's Executive Director, together with representatives of Ukrainian civil society, spoke at a meeting of the European Parliament's Committee on Security and Defence (SEDE).
