Bangladesh, July 15 -- Ukraines troubled fight against corruption hit a critical impasse this week as the government refused to approve the appointment of Oleksandr Tsyvinskyi, a veteran investigator selected through an internationally-backed competitive process to lead the Bureau of Economic Security (BES). Despite clear legal mandates and unanimous support from international experts on the selection panel, Kyivs leadership has refused to move forward, citing alleged concerns about Tsyvinskyis family ties to Russia – a justification dismissed by the selection commission as baseless and already vetted.

The move has generated a wave of criticism from reform advocates, opposition politicians, and segments of Ukraines business communi...