The Ukrainian Parliament has approved a law from President Zelensky that returns autonomy to the country’s anti-corruption bodies, a key step for reforms and continued Western support.
On Thursday, Ukraine’s Parliament passed a bill introduced by President Zelensky that restores the independence of two of the nation’s main anti-corruption agencies.
The measure reverses a controversial decision made just last week by Zelensky himself, which had placed the agencies under the supervision of the prosecutor general, sparking widespread criticism and street protests.
With 331 votes in favor and only nine abstentions, lawmakers in the Verkhovna Rada in Kyiv gave strong approval to the legislation aimed at ensuring that no political authority can interfere with corruption investigations. The reversal came after several days of public demonstrations, the most significant protests since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Zelensky’s earlier decision drew concern both at home and abroad. Human rights groups and the European Union warned that the change marked a serious setback in Ukraine’s fight against corruption, raising fears that the government could meddle in investigations and shield allies from scrutiny.
EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos welcomed the new law, saying: “Today’s legislation restores key safeguards, though challenges remain. The EU supports the reform demands of Ukrainian citizens. Defending fundamental values and fighting corruption must remain a priority,” she wrote on X.
Fighting systemic corruption is essential for Ukraine’s bid to join the European Union and to continue receiving billions of dollars in Western aid during the ongoing war. It also reflects a longstanding demand from Ukrainian society, dating back to the 2014 Revolution of Dignity.
Transparency International’s Kyiv office strongly criticized last week’s legislation, calling it a blow to one of the country’s most important reforms of the past decade.
Presenting the new bill, Zelensky said he had listened to the public’s concerns and stressed that neither the prosecutor general nor their deputies would be allowed to issue orders or interfere with the agencies’ work.
According to Zelensky, his original intention had been to speed up lengthy investigations, secure more convictions, and prevent Russian interference, though he offered no details on how the prosecutor general’s oversight would have achieved that.
The controversy unfolded at a critical moment on the battlefield. Russia’s larger military is intensifying efforts to break through Ukrainian defenses while stepping up bombardments of cities. Meanwhile, uncertainty remains over how much more weaponry Western allies can provide — and how quickly.
Against this backdrop, restoring the autonomy of anti-corruption agencies is seen as a move to rebuild public trust and send a clear signal to European partners: Ukraine will not abandon reform, even in the midst of war.
