Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has signed a bill limiting the independence of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP).
Speaking in a video message late last night, Zelensky said the country’s anti-corruption agencies would continue to operate. He did not, however, address the protests calling for the law not to be signed.
“I spoke with the head of the NABU, Semyon Krivonos, the SAP Prosecutor General, Oleksandr Klimenko, the Prosecutor General, Ruslan Kravchenko, and the head of the Security Service of Ukraine, Vasily Malyuk. We discussed several challenges. The anti-corruption agencies will continue their work, but without Russian influence, which must be eliminated,” Zelensky said.
He added, “Of course, the NABU and the SAP will continue to operate. The Prosecutor General must be committed to ensuring that those who violate the law are held accountable for their actions. This is what Ukraine needs. All protracted cases must be investigated.”
The heads of anti-corruption structures had called on the president not to sign the bill. Protests against the law took place in Kyiv and several other cities in Ukraine. According to the Interfax-Ukraine agency, the NABU and the SAP thanked citizens for their support.
The NABU said: “The NABU staff is sincerely impressed by the level of support we have seen during the spontaneous protests organized across the country. We are grateful to every citizen. This support is critical to us and deeply appreciated. We perceive it as a sign of trust in our structure, and we will do our best to justify this trust.”
European Commission Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos criticized the law adopted by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on the social network “X”, noting: “The abolition of the fundamental mechanisms protecting the independence of the NABU is a serious setback.” She emphasized: “Independent bodies such as the NABU and the SAP are of key importance in the EU accession process. The rule of law remains at the core of negotiations with the European Union.”
