Ukraine’s corruption investigators are back to charging million-dollar schemes after surviving a July attempt to strip their independence. But they’re working under a government that still has the administrative tools to derail sensitive cases and has demonstrated its willingness to use them.
Street protests erupted across six Ukrainian cities Wednesday as lawmakers prepare to vote on legislation that would reverse controversial restrictions placed on the National Anti-Corruption Bureaus eight days earlier.
Ukrainian MPs voted to restore independence to the country's main anti-corruption agencies, just nine days after President Zelenskyy signed legislation that sparked mass protests across the country.
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski warned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that abandoning anti-corruption efforts would be his "worst" possible decision, as Ukraine grapples with threats to its key investigative agencies' independence.
Ukrainian President denied media reports claiming European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed concerns to him about legislation weakening anti-corruption agencies, calling such reports "fake" during a press meeting.
NABU and SAPO say the president’s urgent legislation fully reinstates their power, signaling a possible end to the weeklong crisis over Ukraine’s reform path.
European Parliament members raised concerns over Ukraine's adoption of the controversial anti-corruption law and warned that the legislation threatens both EU financial assistance and the country's accession prospects, with one deputy calling it "a clear breach of trust."
Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced plans to restore independence to Ukraine's main anti-corruption agencies through new legislation, responding to public protests that erupted after he signed controversial changes eliminating their autonomy just one day earlier.