US EditionZelenskyy Revokes Anti-Corruption Agencies' Autonomy, Fueling Mass Protests
UKRAINE, JUL 24 – The law centralizes control over Ukraine's key anti-corruption bodies, sparking the largest protests since 2022 and raising concerns about EU accession and democratic backsliding, EU officials said.
- On July 22, 2025, Ukraine's parliament passed and President Zelenskyy signed a law placing anti-corruption agencies NABU and SAPO under the prosecutor general's control, sparking protests in Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa, and other cities.
- The law followed security service raids on over 70 NABU-linked locations and arrests of senior officials accused of Russian infiltration, which the government used to justify the overhaul despite lacking independent evidence.
- Thousands gathered in protest amid the largest demonstrations Ukraine has seen since the full-scale invasion by Russia in 2022, voicing slogans such as "Shame" and "Ukraine is not Russia," to express opposition to perceived setbacks in reforms initiated after the 2014 Maidan uprising and concerns over threats to national unity during wartime.
- European and Ukrainian officials, including EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos and Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, condemned the law as a serious step back undermining independence, democracy, and Ukraine's EU ambitions.
- Zelenskyy promised a new anti-corruption plan shortly after, while NABU and SAPO warned losing independence will hinder their mission, raising concerns about Ukraine's democratic governance and continued Western support.
572 Articles
572 Articles
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