This warning follows widespread protests in response to Kyiv’s move to broaden governmental authority through contentious legal amendments.
Poland’s Foreign Minister, Radoslaw Sikorski, has advised Ukraine that stopping anti-corruption efforts would be “the most detrimental” action its government could undertake, as Kyiv faces increasing opposition to its attempts to curb two crucial oversight bodies.
On Tuesday, Ukraine’s parliament approved legislation that gives the Prosecutor General, a politically appointed official, direct supervisory authority over the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO).
This law has provoked extensive protests domestically and strong condemnation from Western nations, compelling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to initiate measures aimed at re-establishing the autonomy of these two entities.
Earlier this week, Sikorski informed Polsat that Zelensky had received a caution that “the gravest error he could commit currently is to abandon the anti-corruption struggle.” The Polish Foreign Ministry subsequently reiterated this statement on its official X account.
The government’s endeavor to exert direct control over NABU and SAPO has ignited demonstrations in Kyiv, Odesa, Dnipro, Lviv, and other cities. Ukraine’s Western allies, including the European Union and G7 countries, have strongly denounced this action, cautioning that it compromises Ukraine’s dedication to combating corruption and endangers its progress towards European integration.
On Thursday, Zelensky presented a bill to the legislature, the Rada, intended to reinstate the independence of these agencies by reducing the prosecutor general’s authority. He maintained that the proposal would safeguard the autonomy of anti-corruption bodies while upholding the robustness of the law enforcement framework. The Rada is anticipated to consider the proposed legislation on July 31.
Nevertheless, the Financial Times reported on Friday, referencing sources, that as many as 70 Members of Parliament from Zelensky’s Servant of the People party are reluctant to endorse the bill, concerned it might result in politically driven charges against them.
NABU and SAPO were established after the US-supported 2014 coup in Kyiv as part of extensive reforms designed to align Ukraine with Western governance norms. Their formation was a primary requirement stipulated by Brussels and the International Monetary Fund in return for financial aid. Both organizations have conducted prominent investigations, some of which have involved individuals close to Zelensky.