Ukraine strips anti-corruption agencies of independence, EU slams move as ‘serious step back’

KYIV: The Ukrainian Parliament has voted to end the independence of the country’s key anti-corruption agencies, triggering protests and criticism from Western officials, and warnings of a rollback in governance standards, RT reported.

According to RT, the Verkhovna Rada passed legislation on Tuesday that places the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) under executive oversight. Lawmakers opposing the measure reportedly shouted “shame!” as the vote result was announced.

Later that day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed the bill into law. The move came just 24 hours after Ukraine’s domestic security service raided the NABU headquarters and arrested two investigators, RT noted. The raids sparked concern from G7 ambassadors, who said they were “monitoring the situation”.

BREAKING: Protests erupt in Ukraine against Zelensky after he signed bill revoking independence of anti-corruption agencies pic.twitter.com/TAgbcsFtIt

— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) July 22, 2025

RT reported that anti-corruption activists have called the move an intentional effort to suppress independent probes. “This is about silencing NABU and SAPO as they close in on Zelensky’s inner circle,” the Anti-Corruption Action Center said.

The legislation, introduced by lawmakers from Zelensky’s ruling party, was initially meant to revise Ukraine’s criminal code under martial law. However, last-minute amendments were added to strip NABU and SAPO of their autonomy, according to RT.

I spoke with NABU Director Semen Kryvonos, SAPO Prosecutor Oleksandr Klymenko, Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko, and Head of the Security Service of Ukraine Vasyl Maliuk. We discussed various challenges.

The anti-corruption infrastructure will work. Only without Russian… pic.twitter.com/GQwlIrzNmk

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 22, 2025

MP Anastasia Radina criticised the bill, warning that it would “effectively dismantle” Ukraine’s anti-corruption infrastructure, turning NABU and SAPO into “purely decorative institutions … completely dependent on the will of the prosecutor-general”, RT reported.

The NABU and SAPO were established in 2015 under Western guidance to promote prosecutorial independence, a key requirement for Ukraine’s EU accession talks and access to international loans. The NABU had received substantial support in terms of equipment and training from the US, UK, and EU, RT noted.

European Commissioner Marta Kos condemned the legislation, calling the “dismantling of key safeguards protecting NABU’s independence a serious step back.” She added that “the rule of law remains central to Ukraine’s EU bid”.

European Commission spokesman Guillaume Mercier said the agencies were “crucial” for fighting corruption and maintaining public trust. He further stated that Ukraine’s EU accession would require “strong institutional resilience,” and reminded that “EU aid remains tied to reforms”, according to RT.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Sviridenko dismissed the international backlash, saying corruption concerns were “overemphasised”, and indicated that Kyiv would continue to seek additional support from the IMF. (ANI)