Ukraine's Anti-Corruption Bodies Set for Return After Zelenskyy Makes U-Turn

Ukraine's parliament is set to vote on a new law today that would restore independence to two anti-corruption bodies, backtracking on controversial legislation passed last week that curtailed their powers and led to a political crisis.

- Shaun Walker

Last week's legal changes prompted rare wartime street protests against the president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and accusations that the presidential office was trying to protect powerful associates from anti-corruption investigations.

Thousands of people took to the streets of Kyiv and other cities, while European leaders spoke with Zelenskyy and made it clear that funding for Kyiv could be affected if he was seen to be hampering anti-corruption efforts. Surprised and alarmed by the strength of the reaction, Zelenskyy announced late last week that he had listened to the criticism and would table a new law.

"It seems they really miscalculated; they completely underestimated the strength of the reaction," said a western diplomat based in Kyiv.

The institutions in question are the national anti-corruption bureau, known as Nabu, and the specialized anti-corruption prosecutor's office, Sapo. Both work independently of other law-enforcement bodies specifically to target high-level corruption.