Latest news with #SpecialisedAnti-CorruptionProsecutor'sOffice
The Advertiser
7 days ago
- Politics
- The Advertiser
Zelenskiy back-pedals on Ukraine anti-graft agencies
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has reversed course on a bill affecting the independence of the country's anti-corruption agencies in an effort to defuse a public outcry. Earlier this week he approved a controversial law that was seen as undermining the agencies' autonomy - sparking Ukraine's first major protests since the beginning of the war with Russia, and sharp criticism from the European Union. Zelenskiy said parliament would review a new bill, which "guarantees real strengthening of Ukraine's law enforcement system, the independence of anti-corruption bodies, and reliable protection of the legal system from any Russian interference." Ukraine's two main anti-graft agencies — the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office — quickly welcomed Zelenskiy's new proposal, saying it restores all their procedural powers and guarantees their independence. The agencies said they helped draft the new bill, and urged lawmakers to adopt it "as soon as possible" to prevent threats to ongoing criminal cases. Critics said the law approved by Zelenskiy earlier this week stripped Ukraine's anti-corruption agencies of their independence by granting the government more oversight of their work. The president initially argued the law was needed to speed up investigations, ensure more convictions and remove Russian meddling. After Thursday's U-turn, Zelenskiy said the new bill reverses the earlier changes and also introduced additional measures aimed at "combating Russian influence," including mandatory polygraph tests for law enforcement officers. "The text is balanced," Zelenskiy said. "The most important thing is real tools, no Russian ties and the independence" of the anti-graft agencies. The controversy surrounding the initial bill threatened to undermine public trust in Ukraine's leadership after more than three years of fighting Russia's full-scale invasion. "It is important that we maintain unity," Zelenskiy said in his post. Fighting entrenched corruption is crucial for Ukraine's aspirations to join the EU and maintain access to billions of dollars in Western aid in the war. It is also an effort that enjoys broad public support. The unrest has come at a difficult time in the all-out war. Russia's bigger army is accelerating its efforts to pierce Ukraine's front-line defences and is escalating its bombardment of Ukrainian cities. Delegations from Russia and Ukraine met in Istanbul for a third round of talks in as many months on Wednesday. But once again, the talks were brief and delivered no major breakthrough. On Thursday, two women, were killed and 14 other people were injured when Russian forces dropped four powerful glide bombs on Kostiantynivka, an industrial city in eastern Ukraine, and shelled it with artillery, regional officials said. Russian planes also dropped two glide bombs on the centre of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, on Thursday morning. At least 42 people were wounded, including two babies, a 10-year-old girl and two 17 year olds, authorities said. The southern city of Odesa, and Cherkasy in central Ukraine, were also hit overnight. The drone and missile strikes on the cities wounded 11 people, including a 9-year-old, and damaged historic landmarks and residential buildings. Ukraine has sought to step up its own long-range drone attacks on Russia, using domestic technology and manufacturing. An overnight Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi killed two women and wounded 11 other people, local authorities said on Thursday. An oil depot was also hit, officials said, without offering details. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has reversed course on a bill affecting the independence of the country's anti-corruption agencies in an effort to defuse a public outcry. Earlier this week he approved a controversial law that was seen as undermining the agencies' autonomy - sparking Ukraine's first major protests since the beginning of the war with Russia, and sharp criticism from the European Union. Zelenskiy said parliament would review a new bill, which "guarantees real strengthening of Ukraine's law enforcement system, the independence of anti-corruption bodies, and reliable protection of the legal system from any Russian interference." Ukraine's two main anti-graft agencies — the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office — quickly welcomed Zelenskiy's new proposal, saying it restores all their procedural powers and guarantees their independence. The agencies said they helped draft the new bill, and urged lawmakers to adopt it "as soon as possible" to prevent threats to ongoing criminal cases. Critics said the law approved by Zelenskiy earlier this week stripped Ukraine's anti-corruption agencies of their independence by granting the government more oversight of their work. The president initially argued the law was needed to speed up investigations, ensure more convictions and remove Russian meddling. After Thursday's U-turn, Zelenskiy said the new bill reverses the earlier changes and also introduced additional measures aimed at "combating Russian influence," including mandatory polygraph tests for law enforcement officers. "The text is balanced," Zelenskiy said. "The most important thing is real tools, no Russian ties and the independence" of the anti-graft agencies. The controversy surrounding the initial bill threatened to undermine public trust in Ukraine's leadership after more than three years of fighting Russia's full-scale invasion. "It is important that we maintain unity," Zelenskiy said in his post. Fighting entrenched corruption is crucial for Ukraine's aspirations to join the EU and maintain access to billions of dollars in Western aid in the war. It is also an effort that enjoys broad public support. The unrest has come at a difficult time in the all-out war. Russia's bigger army is accelerating its efforts to pierce Ukraine's front-line defences and is escalating its bombardment of Ukrainian cities. Delegations from Russia and Ukraine met in Istanbul for a third round of talks in as many months on Wednesday. But once again, the talks were brief and delivered no major breakthrough. On Thursday, two women, were killed and 14 other people were injured when Russian forces dropped four powerful glide bombs on Kostiantynivka, an industrial city in eastern Ukraine, and shelled it with artillery, regional officials said. Russian planes also dropped two glide bombs on the centre of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, on Thursday morning. At least 42 people were wounded, including two babies, a 10-year-old girl and two 17 year olds, authorities said. The southern city of Odesa, and Cherkasy in central Ukraine, were also hit overnight. The drone and missile strikes on the cities wounded 11 people, including a 9-year-old, and damaged historic landmarks and residential buildings. Ukraine has sought to step up its own long-range drone attacks on Russia, using domestic technology and manufacturing. An overnight Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi killed two women and wounded 11 other people, local authorities said on Thursday. An oil depot was also hit, officials said, without offering details. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has reversed course on a bill affecting the independence of the country's anti-corruption agencies in an effort to defuse a public outcry. Earlier this week he approved a controversial law that was seen as undermining the agencies' autonomy - sparking Ukraine's first major protests since the beginning of the war with Russia, and sharp criticism from the European Union. Zelenskiy said parliament would review a new bill, which "guarantees real strengthening of Ukraine's law enforcement system, the independence of anti-corruption bodies, and reliable protection of the legal system from any Russian interference." Ukraine's two main anti-graft agencies — the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office — quickly welcomed Zelenskiy's new proposal, saying it restores all their procedural powers and guarantees their independence. The agencies said they helped draft the new bill, and urged lawmakers to adopt it "as soon as possible" to prevent threats to ongoing criminal cases. Critics said the law approved by Zelenskiy earlier this week stripped Ukraine's anti-corruption agencies of their independence by granting the government more oversight of their work. The president initially argued the law was needed to speed up investigations, ensure more convictions and remove Russian meddling. After Thursday's U-turn, Zelenskiy said the new bill reverses the earlier changes and also introduced additional measures aimed at "combating Russian influence," including mandatory polygraph tests for law enforcement officers. "The text is balanced," Zelenskiy said. "The most important thing is real tools, no Russian ties and the independence" of the anti-graft agencies. The controversy surrounding the initial bill threatened to undermine public trust in Ukraine's leadership after more than three years of fighting Russia's full-scale invasion. "It is important that we maintain unity," Zelenskiy said in his post. Fighting entrenched corruption is crucial for Ukraine's aspirations to join the EU and maintain access to billions of dollars in Western aid in the war. It is also an effort that enjoys broad public support. The unrest has come at a difficult time in the all-out war. Russia's bigger army is accelerating its efforts to pierce Ukraine's front-line defences and is escalating its bombardment of Ukrainian cities. Delegations from Russia and Ukraine met in Istanbul for a third round of talks in as many months on Wednesday. But once again, the talks were brief and delivered no major breakthrough. On Thursday, two women, were killed and 14 other people were injured when Russian forces dropped four powerful glide bombs on Kostiantynivka, an industrial city in eastern Ukraine, and shelled it with artillery, regional officials said. Russian planes also dropped two glide bombs on the centre of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, on Thursday morning. At least 42 people were wounded, including two babies, a 10-year-old girl and two 17 year olds, authorities said. The southern city of Odesa, and Cherkasy in central Ukraine, were also hit overnight. The drone and missile strikes on the cities wounded 11 people, including a 9-year-old, and damaged historic landmarks and residential buildings. Ukraine has sought to step up its own long-range drone attacks on Russia, using domestic technology and manufacturing. An overnight Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi killed two women and wounded 11 other people, local authorities said on Thursday. An oil depot was also hit, officials said, without offering details. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has reversed course on a bill affecting the independence of the country's anti-corruption agencies in an effort to defuse a public outcry. Earlier this week he approved a controversial law that was seen as undermining the agencies' autonomy - sparking Ukraine's first major protests since the beginning of the war with Russia, and sharp criticism from the European Union. Zelenskiy said parliament would review a new bill, which "guarantees real strengthening of Ukraine's law enforcement system, the independence of anti-corruption bodies, and reliable protection of the legal system from any Russian interference." Ukraine's two main anti-graft agencies — the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office — quickly welcomed Zelenskiy's new proposal, saying it restores all their procedural powers and guarantees their independence. The agencies said they helped draft the new bill, and urged lawmakers to adopt it "as soon as possible" to prevent threats to ongoing criminal cases. Critics said the law approved by Zelenskiy earlier this week stripped Ukraine's anti-corruption agencies of their independence by granting the government more oversight of their work. The president initially argued the law was needed to speed up investigations, ensure more convictions and remove Russian meddling. After Thursday's U-turn, Zelenskiy said the new bill reverses the earlier changes and also introduced additional measures aimed at "combating Russian influence," including mandatory polygraph tests for law enforcement officers. "The text is balanced," Zelenskiy said. "The most important thing is real tools, no Russian ties and the independence" of the anti-graft agencies. The controversy surrounding the initial bill threatened to undermine public trust in Ukraine's leadership after more than three years of fighting Russia's full-scale invasion. "It is important that we maintain unity," Zelenskiy said in his post. Fighting entrenched corruption is crucial for Ukraine's aspirations to join the EU and maintain access to billions of dollars in Western aid in the war. It is also an effort that enjoys broad public support. The unrest has come at a difficult time in the all-out war. Russia's bigger army is accelerating its efforts to pierce Ukraine's front-line defences and is escalating its bombardment of Ukrainian cities. Delegations from Russia and Ukraine met in Istanbul for a third round of talks in as many months on Wednesday. But once again, the talks were brief and delivered no major breakthrough. On Thursday, two women, were killed and 14 other people were injured when Russian forces dropped four powerful glide bombs on Kostiantynivka, an industrial city in eastern Ukraine, and shelled it with artillery, regional officials said. Russian planes also dropped two glide bombs on the centre of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, on Thursday morning. At least 42 people were wounded, including two babies, a 10-year-old girl and two 17 year olds, authorities said. The southern city of Odesa, and Cherkasy in central Ukraine, were also hit overnight. The drone and missile strikes on the cities wounded 11 people, including a 9-year-old, and damaged historic landmarks and residential buildings. Ukraine has sought to step up its own long-range drone attacks on Russia, using domestic technology and manufacturing. An overnight Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi killed two women and wounded 11 other people, local authorities said on Thursday. An oil depot was also hit, officials said, without offering details.
Perth Now
7 days ago
- Politics
- Perth Now
Zelenskiy back-pedals on Ukraine anti-graft agencies
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has reversed course on a bill affecting the independence of the country's anti-corruption agencies in an effort to defuse a public outcry. Earlier this week he approved a controversial law that was seen as undermining the agencies' autonomy - sparking Ukraine's first major protests since the beginning of the war with Russia, and sharp criticism from the European Union. Zelenskiy said parliament would review a new bill, which "guarantees real strengthening of Ukraine's law enforcement system, the independence of anti-corruption bodies, and reliable protection of the legal system from any Russian interference." Ukraine's two main anti-graft agencies — the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office — quickly welcomed Zelenskiy's new proposal, saying it restores all their procedural powers and guarantees their independence. The agencies said they helped draft the new bill, and urged lawmakers to adopt it "as soon as possible" to prevent threats to ongoing criminal cases. Critics said the law approved by Zelenskiy earlier this week stripped Ukraine's anti-corruption agencies of their independence by granting the government more oversight of their work. The president initially argued the law was needed to speed up investigations, ensure more convictions and remove Russian meddling. After Thursday's U-turn, Zelenskiy said the new bill reverses the earlier changes and also introduced additional measures aimed at "combating Russian influence," including mandatory polygraph tests for law enforcement officers. "The text is balanced," Zelenskiy said. "The most important thing is real tools, no Russian ties and the independence" of the anti-graft agencies. The controversy surrounding the initial bill threatened to undermine public trust in Ukraine's leadership after more than three years of fighting Russia's full-scale invasion. "It is important that we maintain unity," Zelenskiy said in his post. Fighting entrenched corruption is crucial for Ukraine's aspirations to join the EU and maintain access to billions of dollars in Western aid in the war. It is also an effort that enjoys broad public support. The unrest has come at a difficult time in the all-out war. Russia's bigger army is accelerating its efforts to pierce Ukraine's front-line defences and is escalating its bombardment of Ukrainian cities. Delegations from Russia and Ukraine met in Istanbul for a third round of talks in as many months on Wednesday. But once again, the talks were brief and delivered no major breakthrough. On Thursday, two women, were killed and 14 other people were injured when Russian forces dropped four powerful glide bombs on Kostiantynivka, an industrial city in eastern Ukraine, and shelled it with artillery, regional officials said. Russian planes also dropped two glide bombs on the centre of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, on Thursday morning. At least 42 people were wounded, including two babies, a 10-year-old girl and two 17 year olds, authorities said. The southern city of Odesa, and Cherkasy in central Ukraine, were also hit overnight. The drone and missile strikes on the cities wounded 11 people, including a 9-year-old, and damaged historic landmarks and residential buildings. Ukraine has sought to step up its own long-range drone attacks on Russia, using domestic technology and manufacturing. An overnight Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi killed two women and wounded 11 other people, local authorities said on Thursday. An oil depot was also hit, officials said, without offering details.
Qatar Tribune
7 days ago
- Politics
- Qatar Tribune
Ukraine's Zelensky introduces bill after anti-corruption protests
Kiev: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has submitted a new draft bill to the country's legislature, in an effort to calm outrage over a previously passed law that critics say paves the way for corruption. The country's anticorruption agencies quickly hailed the bill's introduction on Thursday, saying it would restore their 'procedural powers and guarantees of independence'. The Ukrainian leader has contended with protests and condemnation from both within Ukraine and from its closest European allies after a separate controversial law was passed on Tuesday. That law placed the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) under the direct authority of the country's prosecutor general – a position appointed by the president.
Al Jazeera
24-07-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Ukraine's Zelenskyy introduces bill after anticorruption protests
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has submitted a new draft bill to the country's legislature, in an effort to calm outrage over a previously passed law that critics say paves the way for corruption. The country's anticorruption agencies quickly hailed the bill's introduction on Thursday, saying it would restore their 'procedural powers and guarantees of independence'. The Ukrainian leader has contended with protests and condemnation from both within Ukraine and from its closest European allies after a separate controversial law was passed on Tuesday. That law placed the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) under the direct authority of the country's prosecutor general – a position appointed by the president. Zelenskyy initially maintained that the law was needed to respond to suspected 'Russian influence' within the agencies amid Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Critics, however, said the law would strip the bodies of their independence and could allow political interference, while failing to address any potential Kremlin-linked operatives. On Tuesday, thousands of Ukrainians defied martial law – which has been in place since the beginning of Russia's war – to take to the streets of Kyiv and other major cities to protest against the law. European officials also questioned the law, noting that addressing corruption remains a core requirement both for Ukraine's future European Union membership and in assuring aid flows to combat Russia. Amid the pressure, Zelenskyy backed away from the new law, promising to submit new legislation that would assure 'all the norms for the independence of anti-corruption institutions will be in place' and that there would be no Russian 'influence or interference'. Opposition lawmakers have also separately prepared their own legislation to revoke the law passed on Tuesday. 'They heroically solved the problems that they created just as heroically. Grand imitators,' Yaroslav Zhelezniak, from the opposition Holos party, said on Telegram, criticising Zelenskyy and his allies about-turn. Before the new draft bill's introduction, Zelenskyy spoke with the leaders of Germany and the United Kingdom on Thursday. In a statement, Zelenskyy's office said British Prime Minister Keir Starmer had 'offered to involve experts who could contribute to long-term cooperation' on the issue. In a post on X, Zelenskyy said he invited Friedrich Merz to 'join the expert review of the bill'. 'Friedrich assured me of readiness to assist,' he said. It was not immediately clear when Ukraine's legislature, the Verkhovna Rada, would vote on the new bill.
Al Jazeera
24-07-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Ukraine's Zelenskyy introduces new draft law after anticorruption protests
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has submitted a new draft bill to the country's legislature, in an effort to calm outrage over a previously passed law that critics say paves the way for corruption. The country's anticorruption agencies quickly hailed the bill's introduction on Thursday, saying it would restore their 'procedural powers and guarantees of independence'. The Ukrainian leader has contended with protests and condemnation from both within Ukraine and from its closest European allies after a separate controversial law was passed on Tuesday. That law placed the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) under the direct authority of the country's prosecutor general – a position appointed by the president. Zelenskyy initially maintained that the law was needed to respond to suspected 'Russian influence' within the agencies amid Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Critics, however, said the law would strip the bodies of their independence and could allow political interference, while failing to address any potential Kremlin-linked operatives. On Tuesday, thousands of Ukrainians defied martial law – which has been in place since the beginning of Russia's war – to take to the streets of Kyiv and other major cities to protest against the law. European officials also questioned the law, noting that addressing corruption remains a core requirement both for Ukraine's future European Union membership and in assuring aid flows to combat Russia. Amid the pressure, Zelenskyy backed away from the new law, promising to submit new legislation that would assure 'all the norms for the independence of anti-corruption institutions will be in place' and that there would be no Russian 'influence or interference'. Opposition lawmakers have also separately prepared their own legislation to revoke the law passed on Tuesday. 'They heroically solved the problems that they created just as heroically. Grand imitators,' Yaroslav Zhelezniak, from the opposition Holos party, said on Telegram, criticising Zelenskyy and his allies about-turn. Before the new draft bill's introduction, Zelenskyy spoke with the leaders of Germany and the United Kingdom on Thursday. In a statement, Zelenskyy's office said British Prime Minister Keir Starmer had 'offered to involve experts who could contribute to long-term cooperation' on the issue. In a post on X, Zelenskyy said he invited Friedrich Merz to 'join the expert review of the bill'. 'Friedrich assured me of readiness to assist,' he said. It was not immediately clear when Ukraine's legislature, the Verkhovna Rada, would vote on the new bill.
