Zelenskyy signs bill restoring independence of anti-corruption agencies
Zelenskyy inked the bill shortly after lawmakers gave their backing for the changes, which was also approved in advance by the anti-corruption bodies.
Kyiv's European allies supported the new legislation after worrying the previous change to the law would undermine anti-corruption reforms key to Ukraine's bid to join the EU.
"The law guarantees the absence of any external influence or interference," the Ukrainian leader wrote on social media, announcing he had approved the bill.
"It is very important that the state listens to public opinion. It hears its citizens. Ukraine is a democracy," he added, in an apparent message to Ukrainians who had demanded the changes.
The earlier law had put the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) under the direct authority of the prosecutor general, who is appointed by the president.
Critics took to the streets in protracted protests fearing the the move could facilitate presidential interference in corruption probes.
After the vote in parliament on Thursday, Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said that the result was "a clear response to the expectations of society and our European partners".
European Commission spokesman Guillaume Mercier said the bill "restored key safeguards" for anti-corruption agencies but cautioned that "this is not the end of the process."
"Ukraine accession will require continuous efforts to guarantee a strong capacity to combat corruption and to respect rule of law, we expect Ukraine to deliver on those commitments swiftly," he said.
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