EU urges Ukraine to uphold independent anti-corruption bodies
BRUSSELS : European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen called on Sunday for president Volodymyr Zelensky to uphold independent anti-corruption bodies, with the Ukrainian leader signalling that supporting legislation could be adopted within days.
'Ukraine has already achieved a lot on its European path. It must build on these solid foundations and preserve independent anti-corruption bodies, which are cornerstones of Ukraine's rule of law,' von der Leyen said in a post on X after a call with Zelenskiy.
After a rare outburst of public criticism, Zelensky on Thursday submitted draft legislation to restore the independence of Ukraine's anti-corruption agencies – reversing the course of an earlier bill aimed at stripping their autonomy.
'I thanked the European Commission for the provided expertise,' Zelenskiy said in a post on X after his Sunday call with von der Leyen.
'We share the same vision: it is important that the bill is adopted without delay, as early as next week.'
Von der Leyen also promised continued support for Ukraine on its path to EU membership.
'Ukraine can count on our support to deliver progress on its European path,' she added.
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