President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a bill granting the prosecutor general control over Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO). Critics argue this weakens their independence, undermining over a decade of anti-corruption efforts and sparking widespread protests in Kyiv, Lviv, Dnipro, and Odesa. Demonstrators held signs reading, "We chose Europe, not autocracy," and "My father did not die for this." Zelensky justified the move by citing the need to remove "Russian influence" and improve the agencies' efficiency, claiming cases had been "lying dormant."

The bill allows Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko, a Zelensky loyalist, to reassign or close corruption investigations. This action directly contradicts the aspirations of the Euromaidan uprising in 2014, which led to the overthrow of pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych and the establishment of an independent anti-corruption system, largely under Western supervision, as a condition for aid and closer ties.

The move has drawn sharp criticism from the European Union, with spokesperson Guillaume Mercier expressing concern and Commissioner Marta Kos calling it a "serious step back." While Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Taras Kachka assured the EU that core functions remain intact, former Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called it a "bad day for Ukraine," and G7 ambassadors have requested discussions with Ukrainian leadership. Despite international pressure, significant aid cutbacks seem unlikely given the ongoing war.

Impact Statement: The bill's passage significantly impacts Ukraine's relationship with Western allies and its path toward EU membership, raising serious concerns about its commitment to anti-corruption reforms.