The entire solidarity of the Ukrainian people in the face of Russian aggression, all the heroism of the army and strong support from the Western alliance have been based on trust in President Volodymyr Zelensky. In the last 24 hours, this trust has taken a strong blow.
With a large parliamentary majority, controlled by the Ukrainian leader, a law was passed that brings the authority of two agencies, namely NABU, the equivalent of Romania’s DNA, and SAPO, the special prosecutor for anti-corruption, under the authority of the prosecutor general, directly subordinate to the president.
In other words, the newly enacted law, quickly promulgated in the middle of the night, immediately after it came from Parliament, by Zelensky, annuls the autonomy of the two agencies, which functioned as separate institutions in the Ukrainian justice system.
The adoption of the law has sparked the first protests against the current political regime in Kiev and accusations of corruption against the president.
In the context of the war and Ukraine's dependence on financial and military support from the US and Europe, signs that Volodymyr Zelensky is trying to consolidate his power, endangering Ukraine's democratic path, have caused perplexity in Western chancelleries and protests in Kiev.
"The parliamentary vote followed an unprecedented wave of searches at the homes of dozens of NABU officers (the equivalent of DNA) a day earlier, in which the pretexts for their execution ranged from drug trafficking charges to car accidents from four years ago," an opinion article published by Kiev Independent states.
"The NABU chief stated that some raids were violent. A local media outlet reported that officers forced a NABU detective's eyes to unlock his phone, set to facial recognition," the source further details.
Zelensky's Reaction
To defuse the crisis, Volodymyr Zelensky announced that the purpose of the law is to remove the two agencies from Russian influence, suggesting that these services have been compromised by the infiltration of Kremlin spies and the recruitment of multiple employees from anti-corruption agencies.
"I am grateful to all participants in today's meeting: the Security Service of Ukraine, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine, the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, the National Agency for Prevention of Corruption, the National Bureau of Investigations, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the Prosecutor General. We agreed that everyone will work exclusively in a constructive manner," stated Volodymyr Zelensky, after a meeting with Ukraine's key prosecutors, in what was intended as an attempt to calm negative reactions from civil society.
"We all hear what the public opinion is telling us. We see what people expect from state institutions: guaranteed justice and efficient functioning of each institution. We discussed the administrative and legislative decisions necessary to strengthen the activity of each institution, to resolve existing contradictions, and to eliminate threats. We will all collaborate. Politically, we will provide support," added the Ukrainian president.
The coming weeks will be decisive as Zelensky will be forced to demonstrate that his decision was aimed at reducing corruption and not at protecting himself and his close associates.
The anti-corruption system will function, but without Russian influence - everything must be cleansed. And there must be more justice.
Volodymyr Zelensky, press statement
A Major Step Back
"It's scandalous. The war has brought so many tragedies, but it was also a signal that our country is fighting for a better future. We cannot allow ourselves to go back. We do not want corruption, and we want an honest government. I want to live in Ukraine," stated a student who protested in Kiev against the law that annulled the autonomy of anti-corruption agencies, as quoted by Politico.
The European Union's response was swift, and shortly after the law was adopted, the Commissioner for Enlargement released a statement emphasizing that the decision is a step back, and the independence of anti-corruption agencies is a mandatory condition for accession.
"I am deeply concerned about today's vote in the Rada. Abolishing the essential guarantees protecting NABU's independence is a major step back. Independent bodies such as NABU and SAPO are essential for Ukraine's path to the EU. The rule of law remains at the heart of Ukraine's negotiations with the European Union," announced Marta Cos, the Commissioner for Enlargement, in a message posted on X/ Twitter.
Protests in several Ukrainian cities represent an opportunity for Moscow's propaganda to launch a wave of accusations against the Ukrainian president, suggesting that through such a political strategy, he is trying to protect his associates.
According to opinion polls, corruption is currently as urgent an issue for Ukrainian society as Russian aggression. It is a major political concern not only for Ukrainians but also for us, as it forms the basis of Ukraine's path to EU membership.
Kestutis Budrys, Lithuania's Foreign Minister
Continuing and strengthening opposition within civil society, similar to the Euromaidan of 2013, would be a disaster for Ukraine's stability and resistance to Russian aggression.
Street movements could quickly lead to a collapse of trust in Volodymyr Zelensky after more than three years of war.
Thus, the possibility of organizing parliamentary and presidential elections becomes the only solution for the survival of Ukrainian democracy, but also an opportunity for Putin to regain control of Kiev.
A Blow to the Political Elite
Zelensky cannot handle both the war and protests against his regime, so any imbalance in power relations in society could collapse the entire political framework, endangering Ukraine's independence.
"The anti-corruption agencies attacked by the law enacted by the president have been a blow to the political elite, just as they should be," states an article published by Kiev Independent.
"Prosecutors investigated the parliamentarians of Zelensky's party and the president's close associates. A few weeks ago, they launched an investigation against Zelensky's personal friend, Oleksiy Chernyshov, who was then the deputy prime minister, on suspicion of land trafficking. There are also talks about other close associates of Zelensky being investigated by prosecutors. In other words, they were doing exactly what was asked of them: investigating high-level corruption independently," the article highlights.
If protests escalate, and messages from the US and Europe remain critical, and Zelensky's response is not convincing, then in the coming weeks, we will witness a rapid erosion of support for the political regime in Kiev, with consequences on the course of the war.
The internal turmoil in Ukraine is good news for Vladimir Putin, who hopes that this crisis in Kiev will weaken the military resistance, giving him the opportunity to regain control of the neighboring country.