In a blunt speech, US Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch called on the government to take concrete steps to curb corruption, widely seen as cancer retarding business investment and economic growth.

In a blunt speech, US Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch called on the government to take concrete steps to curb corruption, widely seen as cancer retarding business investment and economic growth. Yovanovitch asked the government to fire anti-corruption prosecutor Nazar Kholodnytskyi, to approve a new law barring illegal enrichment, and to block 31 judges with dubious reputations from joining the Supreme Court. “Those responsible for corruption should be investigated, prosecuted, and if guilty, go to jail,” she told a media event Tuesday night. “And in order for that to happen, all of the elements of the anti-corruption architecture must be in place and must be working effectively.” The ambassador also told President Poroshenko to hold clean elections – or risk losing Western support.