Zelensky faces backlash as Ukrainians protest against new anti-corruption law
The legislation has also drawn rebukes from European Union officials and international rights groups.
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President Volodymyr Zelensky, under pressure as the change threatened to endanger his public support at a critical time in the war with Russia, convened the heads of Ukraine's key anti-corruption and security agencies on Wednesday morning in response to the outcry against his decision to approve the new law that was passed by Parliament.
'We all hear what society says,' Mr Zelensky wrote on Telegram after the meeting. But he insisted the new legal framework was needed to crack down harder on corruption.
'Criminal cases should not drag on for years without verdicts, and those working against Ukraine must not feel comfortable or immune from punishment,' the Ukrainian leader said.
He said all government agencies agreed to work constructively and respond to public expectations for fairness and effectiveness. A detailed joint action plan is expected within two weeks, aimed at addressing institutional weaknesses, removing legal hurdles, and ensuring justice across the board, he said.
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Thousands of people gathered in the capital and other cities across Ukraine on Tuesday evening to urge Mr Zelensky to veto the controversial bill. After Mr Zelensky approved it, activists called on social media for another demonstration in the centre of Kyiv on Wednesday evening.
The legislation tightens government oversight of two key anti-corruption agencies. Critics say the step could significantly weaken the independence of those agencies and grant Mr Zelensky's circle greater influence over investigations.
A woman holds a phone with a sign reading 'veto' during a protest against the law (Alex Babenko/AP)
Fighting entrenched corruption is crucial for Ukraine's aspirations to join the EU and maintain access to billions of dollars in western aid in its fight against Russia's three-year invasion.
In a post on X, the EU's enlargement commissioner, Marta Kos, expressed concern over the vote in the Ukrainian parliament, called the Rada, calling it 'a serious step back'.
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The Ukrainian branch of Transparency International criticised parliament's decision, saying it undermines one of the most significant reforms since what Ukraine calls its Revolution of Dignity in 2014, and damages trust with international partners. It accused authorities of 'dismantling' the country's anti-corruption architecture.
Mr Zelensky has been the international face of Ukraine's determination to defeat Russia's all-out invasion, and his domestic troubles are an unwelcome diversion from the war effort.
Mr Zelensky said the new law clears out 'Russian influence' from the fight against corruption and ensures punishment for those found guilty of it, after what he said were years-long delays in criminal proceedings involving huge amounts of money.
Volodymyr Zelensky said the new law clears out 'Russian influence' from the fight against corruption (Gregorio Borgia/AP)
'The cases that have been lying dormant must be investigated,' Mr Zelensky said in a Telegram post after midnight on Wednesday. 'For years, officials who have fled Ukraine have been casually living abroad for some reason – in very nice countries and without legal consequences – and this is not normal.'
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He did not provide examples of what he said was Russian interference.
Russian officials relished Mr Zelensky's difficulties. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova mocked Mr Zelensky's claim of Russian infiltration into the anti-corruption agency, noting sarcastically that 'they might just as well pull a couple of bears out of the corner'.
Delegations from Russia and Ukraine were set to meet in Istanbul on Wednesday for their third round of direct talks in two months, the Kremlin and Ukrainian officials said. The meeting was not expected to make progress on ending the war and would likely focus on exchanges of prisoners of war.
The legal changes in Ukraine would grant the prosecutor general new authority over investigations and cases handled by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office.
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