Zelenskyy announces new anti-corruption bill to defuse protests in Ukraine

Thousands of people protest against a law targeting anti-corruption institutions near the President’s Office in Kyiv, Ukraine, on 23 July, 2025. AP Photo

Story by Rory Sullivan

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced a new draft bill on Thursday aimed at combating corruption, in an effort to quell protests sparked by a controversial law that critics say undermines the independence of two key anti-graft bodies.

The contentious legislation was passed on Tuesday, meant to give the country’s chief prosecutor oversight over the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO).

In a post on X on Tuesday, the EU’s Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos said it was a “serious step back”, adding that the NABU and the SAPO were “essential” for Ukraine’s path towards becoming a member of the bloc.

The Ukrainian branch of Transparency International also condemned the parliament’s decision, saying it damaged trust with international partners.

Zelenskyy’s U-turn comes the day after negotiators from Russia and Ukraine met in Istanbul for a third round of talks, which were brief and did not yield a significant breakthrough.

Ukraine’s internal problems have coincided with an increase in Russian aerial bombardments of Ukrainian cities.

On Thursday morning, Russian planes dropped two glide bombs on the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, injuring at least 37 people, according to the regional governor Oleh Syniehubov.

Credit: msn.com