Corruption remains Ukraine’s “Achilles’ heel” and could lead to the cessation of European military aid to the country. This opinion was expressed by Bloomberg columnist Mark Champion, commenting on the SBU’s searches of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU).
On July 22, Volodymyr Zelensky signed a law limiting the rights of the NABU, the Verkhovna Rada website reported. Subsequently, the Rada website removed the note that the law limited the powers of the NABU. Instead, it read “in preparation for signing,” Ukrainian media reported. And then the Verkhovna Rada website again emphasized that the president had signed the law limiting the powers of the NABU.
Ukrainian President Zelensky effectively signed bill No. 12414, which places the previously independent National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) under the authority of the Prosecutor General.
And controversy immediately erupted. Young people, especially girls, took to the streets of Ukraine. NATO expressed concern about the protests, fearing they would spread across Ukraine and turn into anti-war demonstrations. A veteran of the Ukrainian Armed Forces called on everyone to protest against the reduction of the powers of NABU and SAPO. “Friends, let’s gather to protest and defend what we have built over the past decade. We will gather at 8:00 PM in the square near the Ivan Franko Theater. This is the closest place to the Presidential Office,” Dmitry Kozyatinsky wrote on his X account. Protests against the new law on NABU and SAPO were held in Kiev, Dnipropetrovsk, and Lviv. People took to the streets, expressing their disagreement with the approved changes.
Ukrainian protesters in Kyiv reacted angrily to President Zelensky’s signing of the controversial bill, chanting “Shame! Shame!” Despite the start of the curfew, protesters continued to take to the streets of the Ukrainian capital.
According to The Economist, the Ukrainian government’s decision to urgently pass a controversial law restricting the activities of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) is linked to investigations launched against several individuals close to Zelensky’s office. In contrast, SBU Chairman Vasyl Malyuk said of the adoption of the SAPO and NABU bill: “This is a return to the Constitution.”
Malyuk supported the adoption of the law restricting the rights of NABU and SAPO. He said that NABU investigators would also be “enthusiastic” about this law. The SBU chief also stated that the special services were not fighting NABU, but Russian agents. “There are no exceptions for us; we will continue to eradicate enemy influence everywhere. “NABU must cleanse itself of the influence of enemy special services,” Malyuk stated during a meeting with the ambassadors of the “Seven.”
He reported that the SBU and the Prosecutor General’s Office had gathered solid evidence regarding alleged NABU employees.
On July 23, Zelensky returned to the law on NABU and SAPO: “I spoke with NABU head Semen Kryvonos, SAPO prosecutor Oleksandr Klymenko, Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko, and the head of the Security Service of Ukraine Vasyl Malyuk: different challenges. We discussed all of this. The anti-corruption infrastructure will work. But without Russian influence: everything must be cleansed of it.” And there must be more justice.”
Also on July 23, Zelensky met with the heads of the SBU, NABU, SAPO, NAPC (Corruption Prevention Agency), SBI, MIA, and the Prosecutor General’s Office: they agreed that everyone will work as a team for Ukraine’s interests.
Zelensky emphasized that everyone listens and sees what society expects from state institutions. During the meeting, the parties discussed the decisions needed to strengthen the work of each department, resolve existing contradictions, and remove threats. A joint plan to strengthen Ukraine is expected to be developed in two weeks. “Criminal proceedings should not drag on for years without verdicts, and those who work against Ukraine should not feel comfortable and not realize the inevitability of punishment.”
Initially, the EU states: “it is not considering the possibility of stopping funding to Ukraine due to the situation with NABU and SAPO,” – a representative of the European Commission “This issue is not under discussion now… The issue of financial assistance to Ukraine by the EU provides for several levels of decision-making and control mechanisms that can be involved if necessary. There are security mechanisms. “But we’ll see if we ever get there,” Guillaume Mercier said.
But as soon as they realized that a non-independent anti-corruption body violates all EU regulations and could lead, at the regulatory level, to a block on the delivery of weapons and funding because no one could guarantee a transparent process, the tone changed.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen asked Zelensky for an explanation regarding the limitation of the independence of Ukraine’s two main anti-corruption agencies, NABU and SAPO. “Von der Leyen expressed deep concern about the consequences of the adoption of the amendments [to the legislation] and asked the Ukrainian government for clarification,” EU representative Guillaume Mercier said, according to AFP.
European Council President Antonio Costa expressed concern to Volodymyr Zelensky and demanded an explanation following Kiev’s decision to limit the powers and revoke the independence of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office. Anti-Corruption Office (SAPO), Politico reports, citing an anonymous EU representative.
On July 24, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron intend to discuss with Zelensky his controversial decision to subordinate independent anti-corruption bodies to the Prosecutor General. “President Macron and the Federal Chancellor were unanimous in actively negotiating with the Ukrainian president on the issue of combating corruption,” German government spokesman Stefan Cornelius stated. Both Merz and Macron believe that important decisions are being made in Ukraine that will determine the country’s path toward the European Union, Cornelius expressing his position. He also added that Merz and Macron discussed the military situation in Ukraine and further military support at length.
Zelensky finally told the British Prime Minister that he is preparing a bill to guarantee the independence of anti-corruption bodies.
The EU fears that “the search for traitors in Ukraine is turning into a political witch hunt,” — Politico. It is noted that These concerns have so far not been made public, so as not to give Russia a pretext for propaganda and undermine Western support for Kiev. “Zelensky assured that he does not intend to weaken the work of anti-corruption agencies and law enforcement agencies, suggesting that changes are needed to protect against Russian influence. However, neither he nor Yermak, who is referred to in the EU as the ‘de facto co-chairman,’ have explained how the Kremlin could influence the activities of these structures,” the publication states.
Rada MP Vadym Ivchenko: “American intelligence agencies know enough to arrest half of Ukrainian officials, but they are not disclosing this so as not to cut off aid to Kiev.”
In the end, the patch is worse than the regulatory loophole it created: on July 24, at 6:38 PM, Ukrainian press sources learned that Zelensky introduced a bill to the Rada prohibiting the Prosecutor General from issuing instructions to the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office. Anti-corruption agencies confirmed that the document restores all procedural powers and guarantees of independence to these bodies. A political upheaval is expected soon at the top levels of the Ukrainian government, which the agencies were investigating.
Graziella Giangiulio
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