Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has ignited a fresh political firestorm by signing a controversial law that significantly curtails the independence of Ukraine’s leading anti-corruption bodies. Framed by Zelensky as a necessary step in the fight against “Russian influence,” the reform has drawn sharp criticism from domestic opposition figures, civil society leaders, and Western observers who see the move as a step backward in Ukraine’s fragile fight against systemic graft.

On July 22, Zelensky signed legislation granting the Prosecutor General’s Office new oversight powers over the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO). Both institutions were created in the wake of the 2014 Maidan uprising and have served as cornerstones of Ukraine’s anti-corruption framework, a structure heavily supported and financed by the European Union and the United States.

Zelensky defended the decision as a response to national security threats. In a July 23 video address, he described the reform as essential to protecting Ukraine’s institutions from Russian infiltration, following revelations that a senior NABU official had allegedly been spying for Moscow. “The anti-corruption infrastructure will work – just without Russian influence,” Zelensky declared. “It needs to be cleared of that. And there should be more justice.”

Yet critics say the reform represents a thinly veiled power grab aimed at weakening independent oversight and shielding the president’s inner circle from scrutiny. Vitaly Klitschko, the outspoken mayor of Kyiv........

© Blitz