Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is facing the first major anti-government protests since the conflict in wider Ukraine began in 2022 after lawmakers passed a bill that will weaken two anti-corruption agencies.
The bill, which has reportedly been signed by Zelensky, has drawn significant domestic backlash from activists and lawmakers and could strain the beleaguered nation’s relationship with western allies.
The law significantly curtails the independence of Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the affiliated Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO), according to a report from Axios. Both bodies, which were designed to be autonomou, were established following the 2014 “Maidan Revolution” which led to the removal of then-President Viktor Yanukovych, a pro-Russia figure, and the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine’s Eastern provinces that ultimately led to the current war.
Leaders in the European Union and the United States had pushed for the establishment of such institutions in order to clean up Ukraine’s long-standing corruption issues. The issue took a backseat following the Russian invasion of wider Ukraine, though the issue has now been reignited as the current conflict slogs on through its third full year.
Protesters in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev chanted “we’re not suckers” and “corruption equals” death while holding up candles. Protests continued into the night Tuesday and are expected to continue tomorrow.
The protests come as relations between Zelensky’s government and the Trump Administration have improved dramatically in recent weeks following a contentious Oval Office meeting earlier this year. The Ukrainian leader has since signed a new economic agreement with the U.S., while Trump has threatened to impose 100% tariffs on Russia, as well as any country that purchases Russian oil, if they do not come to the negotiating table with 50 days.
