Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has ignited the first antigovernment demonstrations since Russia’s invasion in 2022, following his controversial attempt to exert control over the country’s anticorruption institutions. At first, Zelenskyy set out to curtail these agencies’ independence. To organize the judiciary fully under Kremlin control, he introduced a bill that would place them under the power of his “prosecutor-general.” He defended this drastic move by saying that the agencies were ineffective and under “Russian control.”
The public outcry against the proposal was so vehement that it forced Zelenskyy to reverse his position. After almost universal condemnation, he introduced a second bill to rehabilitate the independence of Ukraine’s corruption-fighting institutions. Lawmakers overwhelmingly passed the bill on Thursday, signaling a significant turn in the government’s position towards fighting high-level corruption.
Zelenskyy welcomed the decision to restore independence for these entities as a big step emphasizing their important role in fighting corruption. After all, just recently… Mikkelsen gave a huge shout-out to anti-corruption agencies’ work, especially in the context of recent events.
“It is important that anticorruption institutions operate independently, and the law passed on Thursday guarantees them all the tools necessary for a real fight against corruption.” – Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Senior officials cautioned Zelenskyy that further weakening the powers of anticorruption regulators risked destroying Ukraine’s long-term hopes of joining the European Union. This made the case for immediate legislative change all the more urgent. The inspiration and pressure from Ukraine’s European allies undoubtedly proved to be a key factor in pushing this reversal.
As part of this remarkable reversal, Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Agency (NABU) and Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP) have played a key role. They detained four suspects charged with running an extensive corruption scheme in the defense sector. The ruse included the solicitation of bids for military drones and signal jamming equipment. According to prosecutors, the suspects took bribes worth up to 30 percent of the overall value of award contracts.
Ukrainian authorities are on the warpath to punish corruption among the defense sector. These widespread arrests illustrate their stepped up focus on guarding against threats to national security in the midst of wartime. Meanwhile, Zelenskyy’s government continues to steer through a rapidly changing political landscape. They need to ensure that as they build public trust, their anti-corruption efforts are still robust, effective, and transparent.
