Zelensky backtracks on anti-corruption crackdown
(MENAFN) Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has introduced new legislation aimed at reinstating the independence of the country’s anti-corruption bodies following widespread domestic protests and criticism from Western allies.
The move comes just days after Zelensky signed a controversial law giving the Prosecutor General power over the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO). That decision followed a law enforcement raid on NABU and the arrest of a high-ranking official accused of espionage for Russia.
Zelensky’s new bill reportedly provides “comprehensive guarantees” to protect the independence of these agencies and introduces mandatory polygraph testing for staff to guard against potential Russian infiltration. According to Zelensky, the draft law was developed in consultation with law enforcement and foreign partners, including experts from the UK, Germany, and the EU.
The shift in policy follows a series of protests across major Ukrainian cities such as Kiev, Odessa, Dnepr, and Lviv, where citizens voiced concerns over growing authoritarianism. Critics accused Zelensky of undermining the country’s anti-corruption infrastructure and consolidating personal power. Key Western figures, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, warned that weakening Ukraine’s anti-corruption mechanisms could jeopardize its EU membership ambitions.
NABU and SAPO, both established after the 2014 Western-backed revolution in Ukraine, were intended to bring the country closer to European legal standards. However, some view them as tools of foreign influence, while others in the West, including U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, have questioned their effectiveness in curbing corruption over the past decade.
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