When asked about the impact of the $100 million bribery case, the Ukrainian capital's Mayor admitted that the situation was still "really very bad" when speaking on German television last week.
The incident has seriously affected the reputation of Ukrainian leaders both domestically and internationally, Klitschko said, calling it a destructive blow to the country.
The most important thing in life is faith. The trust of international partners in Ukraine. People's trust in the central government. And scandals like this have caused significant confidence shaking, Klitschko argue.
The scandal, which shocked Ukrainian political life, broke out in mid-November, stemming from an investigation conducted by the National Anti-Corruption Administration of Ukraine (NABU) and the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO).
Both agencies have said they have discovered a nearly $100 million seafaring ring involving several individuals in the vicinity of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The leader is suspected to be businessman Timur Mindich, a close associate of Mr. Zelensky. The man was accused of withdrawing money from the state-owned nuclear power conglomerate Energoatom - a unit heavily dependent on Western aid. Timur Mindich himself was able to leave Ukraine just hours before his real estates were searched.
Many senior figures, including at least 5 incumbent lawmakers, are believed to have been complicit in the incident. The corruption scandal has led to a political collapse of Ukrainian Justice Minister German Galushchenko and Ukrainian Energy Minister Svetlana Grinchuk.
In addition, Chief of the Office of President Andrey Yermak - a secretive figure but considered the center of power of Ukraine, who was even described as "the true operator of the country" - was also removed from office, along with several other senior positions in the government.
