Ukraine’s Zelenskyy introduces bill after anticorruption protests

In an effort to quell criticism of a previously passed law that some claim opens the door to corruption, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has presented a new draft bill to the nation’s legislature.

The bill’s introduction on Thursday, according to the nation’s anticorruption bodies, will give them “procedural powers and guarantees of independence.”

Following the passage of a separate, contentious law on Tuesday, the Ukrainian leader has been the target of protests and criticism from both within Ukraine and among its closest European allies.

The president appointed the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) under the direct control of the nation’s prosecutor general, who was appointed by the president.

In response to Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, Zelenskyy initially argued that the law was necessary.

However, critics claimed that the law would obstruct the bodies’ independence and allow political interference, while undermining any Kremlin-linked operatives.

Ukrainians took to the streets of Kyiv and other major cities on Tuesday to protest the martial law, which has been in place since the start of the Russian war.

Officials from Europe also raised concerns about the law, noting that tackling corruption is a fundamental requirement for both ensuring aid flows to combat Russia and ensuring that Ukraine’s future membership in the EU is governed by EU law.

Zelenskyy resisted the new law amid the pressure and promised to introduce new legislation that would “ensure the full implementation of all anti-corruption institution norms” and prevent “all the influence or interference” from Russia.

Separately, opposition lawmakers have created their own legislation to overturn the Tuesday law.

They also heroically solved the issues they created. Yaroslav Zhelezniak, a member of the opposition Holos party, criticized Zelenskyy and his allies’ turn on Telegram.

Zelenskyy had a meeting with German and British leaders on Thursday before the introduction of the new draft bill.

Zelenskyy’s office claimed Keir Starmer, the prime minister of the UK, had “offered to involve experts who could contribute to long-term cooperation” on the subject.

Zelenskyy claimed in a post on X that he had invited Friedrich Merz to “join the expert review of the bill.”

Friedrich stated, “I was assured of my assistance.