Listen: Ukraine backtracks on anti-corruption bill after public outcry

In Kyiv, Ukraine’s parliament is set to vote today on a new law that would restore and fix last week's vote on the independence of two key anti-corruption bodies, NABU, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and SAPO the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office. But can this last minute fix patch up the broken trust in Zelenskyy’s leadership?

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You can find the transcript here:

In Kyiv, Ukraine’s parliament is set to vote today on a new law that would restore and fix last week's vote on the independence of two key anti-corruption bodies, NABU, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and SAPO the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office. But can this last minute fix patch up the broken trust in Zelenskyy’s leadership?

So just last week, the same parliament, backed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's ruling party, passed legislation that severely cut the powers of both institutions. And the move, of course, triggered the largest public protests since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.

Thousands marched in Kyiv and other cities demanding the reversal of the law and accusing the president’s office of shielding powerful allies from investigation.

Zelenskyy, apparently caught off guard by the backlash and the criticism from his western allies, swiftly changed course. He pledged to submit a new bill, which, if passed today, would restore the two bodies’ independence. But the damage, some fear, may already has been done.

According to the head of SAPO, Oleksandr Klymenko, last week’s manoeuvre felt like an assault on these bodies, rushed, deliberate, and alarming. He said NABU and SAPO had been investigating 31 sitting Members of the Parliament, and described the law as “revenge” for taking on sensitive cases.

Two NABU officers were even arrested in the fallout.

Zelenskyy has claimed the changes were meant to improve coordination and to weed out suspected Russian infiltration, but for many Ukrainians, that explanation hasn’t held water. And some European diplomats have described the attempt as a “serious step back.

Because, since Russia invaded, Ukraine has received tens of billions of euros in aid from Western allies. EU accession is on the table, and the EU has made it clear: joining the bloc means cleaning up corruption.

So when Zelenskyy’s government pushed through a law that gave his hand-picked prosecutor general the power to take over or redirect anti-corruption cases, alarm bells went off in Brussels, Berlin, Paris, and Washington.

European commissioner for enlargement Marta Kos called it “a serious step back.” And some warned that funding could be cut if Ukraine undermined its own reforms.

Let’s not forget: war is expensive. Ukraine cannot afford to lose international support, financial or political. And with growing fatigue in the West, any sign that Ukraine is slipping on democratic standards could shift the tone.

In fact, according to a recent Ukrainian poll, over two-thirds of Ukrainians supported the protests, not because they want political instability, but because they want to ensure that the wartime sacrifices are not used as a smokescreen for rolling back reform.

So, what now? If parliament approves the new bill, it will restore NABU and SAPO’s independence, at least on paper. It would also introduce new safeguards, including regular lie detector tests for anti-corruption officials. A move that’s equal parts dramatic and… perhaps a little theatrical.

And not everyone is convinced. Many of the same MPs under investigation will be voting. And while Zelenskyy's government appears ready to walk back the legislation, trust has already taken a hit.

The bigger picture is that Ukraine is walking a tightrope. The country’s democratic credibility is under scrutiny not only by its own citizens, but by its European allies.

As the war drags on and the EU accession process inches forward, Kyiv will need to prove that anti-corruption isn’t just a talking point. It’s a red line.