Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is facing pressure both at home and abroad after he curbed the independence of anti-corruption agencies whose work is seen as key to Kyiv's integration into the European Union.
The changes, which give his appointed prosecutor expanded powers over two investigative bodies, have drawn condemnation from senior EU officials and led to the country's biggest wartime protests.
This is what it means.
What anti-corruption bodies operate in Ukraine?
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) were created after the 2014 revolution that ousted a pro-Russian president and set Kyiv on a Western path.
They are responsible for independently combating high-level corruption, a key requirement for Ukraine to receive billions of dollars in Western aid and join the 27-nation EU.
Intelligence agencies have stepped up their activities during Russia's full-scale invasion, bringing charges against lawmakers, senior government officials and Zelensky's former deputy chief of staff.
Last month they accused the deputy prime minister of accepting a bribe of 300,000 euros.
Why were their powers limited?
In an address late Tuesday, Zelensky said the security services needed to be “cleansed” of Russian influence and their actions should be strengthened and accelerated.
The following day, Kyiv's Internal Security Service detained two NABU employees on suspicion of having ties to Russia and conducted large-scale searches of agency employees that critics called excessive.
The new measures, which were largely accelerated by Zelensky's ruling party, allow the prosecutor general to transfer cases between agencies and reassign prosecutors, several lawmakers said.
Critics, including an anti-corruption activist who was charged with fraud and draft evasion this month, say the crackdown is a politically motivated response to their work.
What was the reaction?
After the vote, the EU's enlargement commissioner expressed “serious concerns” about the measures, and on Wednesday Germany's foreign minister warned Kyiv against obstructing the country's path to EU membership.
Thousands of Ukrainians have gathered in Kyiv just steps from the site of a 2014 uprising that was sparked by democratic backsliding and threats to Ukraine's European integration.
Protesters in Kyiv hold placards during a demonstration in support of the independence of two Ukrainian anti-corruption agencies. Photo: AFP via Getty
Fighting corruption and moving closer to the West, especially after Moscow's invasion in 2022, are seen as critical to ending the legacy of Russian rule.
Ukrainians are outraged
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
