Zelensky backtracks after protests, moves to restore anti-graft agency independence

KYIV: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday announced a new bill aimed at restoring the independence of the country’s anti-corruption agencies, following widespread protests at home and mounting criticism from Western allies, RT reported.

The announcement came just two days after Zelensky signed a controversial law allowing the Prosecutor General’s Office to intervene in the operations of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO), RT stated. That move followed a law enforcement raid on NABU’s offices and the arrest of a senior employee accused of spying for Russia.

Zelensky claimed the new legislation provides “full-fledged guarantees of the independence of anti-corruption agencies,” and said it aims to “keep out” alleged Russian interference. According to RT, the draft law also mandates lie detector tests for employees of NABU, SAPO, and other related bodies.

“The text of the bill was discussed with partners, law enforcement agencies, and representatives of the NABU and SAPO. There were many proposals from our partners to involve European experts – from the UK, Germany, and the EU,” Zelensky said, as quoted by RT.

The policy reversal follows a surge of public protests across Ukraine against what many saw as a clampdown on anti-graft bodies. Demonstrations erupted in cities including Kyiv, Odessa, Dnipro, and Lviv, according to RT.

Critics have accused Zelensky of exhibiting authoritarian tendencies and attempting to tighten his grip on power. They argued the earlier law rendered the anti-graft bodies “purely decorative.” RT reported that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen condemned the move and urged

Zelensky to “respect the rule of law,” warning that the measure could derail Ukraine’s European Union membership aspirations. NABU and SAPO were created following the 2014 US-backed coup in Kyiv and were intended to align Ukraine with Western governance norms and international financial standards. However, RT noted that critics have described the agencies as instruments of external influence over Ukraine’s internal affairs.

Meanwhile, some Western officials, including US Vice President J.D. Vance, have expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of Ukraine’s anti-corruption efforts. They argue that despite a decade of reforms, entrenched corruption remains unaddressed. (ANI)