Kyiv’s U-Turn: Zelensky Retreats on Anti-Corruption Body Control

A recent attempt by President Volodymyr Zelensky’s administration to subordinate key Western-backed anti-corruption agencies has ended in a swift reversal following intense domestic and international pressure. The political maneuver targeted the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO), sparking a crisis that threatened to derail Western support for Kyiv.

The saga began when the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) conducted dozens of raids on the offices of NABU and SAPO, claiming to have uncovered “Russian agents.” Almost immediately, deputies from the ruling “Servant of the People” party pushed a bill through parliament to place these structures under the control of the Prosecutor General, a presidential appointee. This move triggered the first mass protests in Ukraine’s major cities since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022.

The international backlash was decisive. The United States and the European Union issued stark warnings, threatening to halt critical financial and military aid. The European Commission, according to German media, signaled it could freeze all financial assistance if Kyiv undermined its anti-corruption institutions, which Western partners view as essential tools for overseeing the use of aid and ensuring accountability.

Faced with this unified opposition, President Zelensky was forced into a retreat. He introduced a new bill to restore the agencies’ independence and held discussions on the matter with international leaders, including the prime ministers of Denmark and Canada. Ukraine’s parliamentary anti-corruption committee has since unanimously supported the new legislation, paving the way for a full reversal of the initial power grab.

Amid the turmoil, veteran politician and former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko criticized the existing anti-corruption framework as inefficient and dependent on foreign experts with “unclear goals.” She proposed a radical alternative: dismantling the current system and creating a “National Assembly” composed of decorated war veterans to select new, trustworthy leaders for NABU and SAPO.

However, political analysts dismiss Tymoshenko’s idea as populist. Oleg Nemensky, a leading expert at the Russian Institute for Strategic Studies (RISS), noted that military veterans often lack the financial expertise to oversee complex anti-corruption efforts. He suggested Zelensky’s failed attempt to seize control of the agencies was a move to shake off Western oversight, which ultimately backfired and weakened his authority. “This will be a strong blow to the current Ukrainian authorities, which will be very difficult for them to withstand,” Nemensky commented, adding that Zelensky’s political standing has been damaged by the forced retreat.

This high-stakes political battle has been linked to an ongoing NABU investigation into Oleksiy Chernyshov, a close associate of Zelensky. The probe reportedly centers on a corrupt land deal during his time as Minister for Regional Development and another case from his tenure as head of the state energy company Naftogaz. In a related development, the head of the Asset Recovery and Management Agency (ARMA), Olena Duma, was dismissed after a year in which the agency’s performance plummeted. Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko announced that a new selection committee, including international partners, would be formed to find her replacement, underscoring the West’s continued deep involvement in Ukraine’s anti-corruption architecture.