
Ukraine curbs autonomy of anti-corruption agencies
Stamping out endemic graft is a requirement for Kyiv to join the European Union as well as to secure billions in Western aid. Independent investigators have in recent months embarrassed senior officials with allegations of corruption.
Amendments passed on Tuesday grant the general prosecutor, appointed by the president, strict control over the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, several lawmakers said.
The vote drew sharp criticism from the heads of both agencies and a top EU official, and spurred the largest public protests since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.
It came a day after Kyiv's domestic security agency arrested two NABU officials on suspicion of ties to Russia and conducted sweeping searches into agency employees on other grounds. Critics and the two agencies said the crackdown went too far.
No senior official has publicly commented on the reason for Tuesday's amendments, which would allow the general prosecutor to transfer cases from the agencies and reassign prosecutors.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, whose party holds a majority in parliament, approved the amendments late on Tuesday. His office did not respond to an earlier request for comment.
NABU chief Semen Kryvonos had urged Zelenskiy not to sign the fast-tracked bill, which he described as an attempt to "destroy" Ukraine's anti-corruption infrastructure.
After Tuesday's vote, Ukraine's government bonds fell more than 2% on international markets, with the bulk of the $20 billion of debt it restructured last year down over 1 cent at between 45 and 50 cents on the dollar .
Hundreds of Ukrainians protested near the presidential administration in central Kyiv late on Tuesday, with smaller actions taking place in several other cities.
Writing on X, EU enlargement commissioner Marta Kos said she was "seriously concerned" by Tuesday's vote.
"The dismantling of key safeguards protecting NABU's independence is a serious step back," she said, adding that rule of law was at "the very center" of accession talks.
NABU and SAPO were established after the 2014 Maidan revolution that toppled a pro-Russian president and set Kyiv on a Western course.
The two agencies have stepped up their work during the war, leveling charges against lawmakers, ministers, and a former deputy head of Zelenskiy's administration.
Anti-graft campaigners have been alarmed since authorities charged a top anti-corruption activist this month with fraud and evading military service.
Critics have cast those charges as political retribution for exposing corrupt officials.
The government has also faced criticism for rejecting the candidacy of an economic security chief and current NABU detective who was unanimously backed by an internationally supervised committee.
A Western diplomat familiar with Ukraine's reform effort described the developments as "the most dangerous moment" yet for the independence of anti-corruption authorities.
"The Ukrainian side is testing the limits more and more," the person said, referring to the patience of Kyiv's allies.
Many influential Ukrainians lashed out on social media after Tuesday's vote, saying it was a betrayal of Ukraine's decade-long geopolitical ambition.
Fighting corruption is seen as critical to erasing a legacy of Russian rule, a sentiment echoed at the protest in Kyiv.
Vladyslava Kirstyuk, 18, said memories of her childhood in occupied eastern Ukraine, after Russia's covert invasion in 2014, left a strong impression on her.
"I know what it means for one person to have all the power, when nothing is transparent and everything is working against you," she said.
"I don't want it to be the same for us here."
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Reuters
16 minutes ago
- Reuters
US to release result of probe into chip imports in two weeks
TURNBERRY, Scotland/EDINBURGH, July 27 (Reuters) - The Trump administration will announce the results of a national security probe into imports of semiconductors in two weeks, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said on Sunday, as President Donald Trump suggested higher tariffs were on the horizon. Lutnick told reporters after a meeting between Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen that the investigation was one of the "key reasons" the European Union sought to negotiate a broader trade agreement that would "resolve all things at one time." Trump said many companies would be investing in semiconductor manufacturing in the United States, including some from Taiwan and other places, to avoid getting hit by new tariffs. He said von der Leyen had avoided the pending chips tariffs "in a much better way." Trump and von der Leyen announced a new framework trade agreement that includes across-the-board 15% tariffs on EU imports entering the United States. Trump said the agreement included autos, which face a higher 25% tariff under a separate sectoral tariff action. The Trump administration in April said it was investigating whether extensive reliance on foreign imports of pharmaceuticals and semiconductors posed a national security threat. The probe, being conducted under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, could lay the groundwork for new tariffs on imports in both sectors. The Trump administration has begun separate investigations under the same law into imports of copper and lumber. Earlier probes completed during Trump's first term formed the basis for 25% tariffs rolled out since his return to the White House in January on steel and aluminum and on the auto industry. Trump has upended global trade with a series of aggressive levies against trading partners, including a 10% tariff that took effect in April, with that rate set to increase sharply for most larger trading partners from August 1. The U.S. relies heavily on chips imported from Taiwan, something Democratic former President Joe Biden sought to reverse during his term by granting billions of dollars in Chips Act awards to lure chipmakers to expand production in the United States.


Reuters
16 minutes ago
- Reuters
EU's von der Leyen: trade deal delivers certainty in uncertain times
PRESTWICK, Scotland, July 27 (Reuters) - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Sunday said a U.S. baseline tariff rate of 15% on imported EU goods would apply to cars, semiconductors and pharmaceutical goods. She also said that a zero-for-zero tariff rate had been agreed for certain strategic products, including aircraft and aircraft parts, certain chemicals, and certain generic drugs. No decision had been taken on a rate for wine and spirits, she added. "Today's deal creates certainty in uncertain times, delivers stability and predictability," von der Leyen told reporters before leaving Scotland.


Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
French submarine-maker targeted by hackers
A French naval giant is investigating a potential cyber attack after hackers claimed to have obtained sensitive data about the country's nuclear submarines. Naval Group, a state-owned ship maker that traces its origins back almost 400 years to the reign of Louis XIII, said it had 'immediately launched technical investigations' after cyber criminals threatened to publish files on the dark web. The company builds and maintains key ships and submarines for the French Navy, including aircraft carriers and nuclear-powered submarines. These include France's Barracuda fleet of nuclear missile-armed submarines. In a post on a dark web forum, hackers claimed to have uncovered 'top-secret classified' data for 'submarines and frigates'. Hackers gave the company 72 hours to respond to the leak, with initial documents published online allegedly including source code for submarine weapon systems. The attackers have so far published around 30 gigabytes of data, although they claim to have far more information still to be disclosed. Naval Group has responded by insisting it had found 'no intrusion into our IT environments', and described it as a 'reputational attack'. A spokesman said: 'Naval Group has noticed being the target of a reputational attack with the claim of a cyber-malice act. We immediately launched technical investigations. 'All teams and resources are currently mobilised to analyse and verify the authenticity, origin and ownership of the data as quickly as possible. 'At this stage, no intrusion into our IT environments has been detected and there has been no impact on our activities.' The alleged hack comes amid a wave of cyberattacks against companies and governments. Last week, Microsoft admitted to a major flaw in its SharePoint document-sharing system, which is believed to have been exploited by hackers with links to China. Among the organisations targeted were the US National Nuclear Security Administration, which maintains America's nuclear arsenal, although no sensitive files were reported to have been taken. Naval Group is France's largest shipbuilder, employing more than 15,000 people with revenues of more than €4.4bn. The French government owns almost two-thirds of the business, with he remainder owned by Thales, the French defence giant.