“Without a substantial new effort to invigorate governance reforms and fight corruption, it is hard to see how the IMF-supported program can continue and be successful,” Lagarde said. “Ukraine risks a return to the pattern of failed economic policies that has plagued its recent history.”

Amen.

As they do when they’re prodded to do something, Ukraine’s leaders responded with their usual showboating — which only highlighted their abject refusal to fight corruption.

Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin announced “progress” in the investigation into who killed more than 100 people during the EuroMaidan Revolution that drove President Viktor Yanukovych from power two years ago. The case should have been wrapped up by now.

President Petro Poroshenko got on the phone with Lagarde and pledged to get busy fighting corruption. Here’s what the president should do: Fire Shokin, hire competent and independent prosecutors, police investigators and judges, push for the removal of his corrupt cronies in parliament and sack them throughout government, sell his businesses as promised and start demanding justice. He can start by letting the prosecution of ex-President Leonid Kuchma go forward in the 2000 murder of journalist Georgiy Gongadze. This symbolic start should be followed by substantive ones, including investigations of many members of parliament incriminated by corruption allegations yet immune from criminal prosecution.

Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk got so rattled that he took the rare step of televising the Cabinet of Ministers’ Feb. 11 entire, hours-long meeting.

We have seen this bad movie before. Economy Minister Aivaras Abromavicius’s Feb. 3 resignation triggered this political dust-up with his credible allegations of corruption in the presidential camp.

So far, the world is getting more circus from Ukraine’s leaders. Until they deliver real and sustained progress in establishing rule of law, the IMF should keep its money.