Respect for the rule of law and increased anti-corruption efforts – that is all the European Union expects from Ukraine in exchange for a fast track membership process. Despite Brussels, to the anger of other candidate countries, has lowered the accession requirements in case of Ukraine, Kyiv is still unable to meet even these basic conditions. In fact, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has recently made a move with which he has, in fact, stabbed in the back not only the supportive European political elite but also his own people.
When 22 July, President Zelenskyy approved a law No12414, he deliberately placed previously independent anti-corruption agencies under executive control given that the new law has given the Prosecutor General – who is appointed by the President -, direct authority over the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO). It is important to note that the controversial law was originally proposed by Zelenskyy’s Servant of the People Party with the aim of changing Ukraine’s criminal code regarding pretrial investigations while martial law is in effect – or, from another perspective, to rescue some government officials, including a deputy PM, from corruption charges. Amendments targeting the corruption watchdogs triggered a country-wide backlash. Amid growing concerns following the adoption of the law, President Zelenskyy reiterated that he does not want to jeopardise Ukraine’s European integration. On 31 July, he signed a new bill into law that returned independence to the anti-corruption agencies.
President Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian parliament’s aforementioned ’legislative action’ sparked criticism from international bodies, including the EU, the IMF, and the World Bank, which pressured Zelenskyy’s government into reversing course. Human Rights Watch (HRW) was also quick to express its concerns about the damage of the rule of law in Ukraine. A new law adopted by Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, on July 22, 2025, effectively strips Ukraine’s key anti-corruption bodies of independence and is detrimental to the rule of law, HRW said.
The legislative changes may also impact Ukraine’s European Union accession efforts, for which rule of law reforms are a central requirement, according to HRW. ’Undermining independent anti-corruption bodies, especially during the brutal war that Russia is waging against Ukraine, risks weakening Ukraine’s democratic foundations and its future integration with Europe,’ said Rachel Denber, deputy Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch. ’Parliament should immediately repeal these amendments to protect the rule of law and human rights, which are crucial for Ukraine’s recovery and its path to justice.’
Preventing and combating corruption has been a preeminent priority on the EU-Ukrainian reform agenda, HRW also pointed out.
Indeed, as an EU candidate country, Ukraine is obliged to align to EU rule of law standards and meet a number of obligations related to strengthening the independence and effectiveness of its anti-corruption institutions.
’Stripping anti-corruption bodies of their independence threatens the rule of law in Ukraine,’ the head of the Anti-Corruption Division at the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) Directorate for Financial and Enterprise Affairs Rachel Denber said.
’The respect for the rule of law and the fight against corruption are core elements of the European Union. As a candidate country, Ukraine is expected to uphold these standards fully. There cannot be a compromise.’, commenting on Ukrainian government actions, an European Commission spokesperson said, adding that Ursula von der Leyen, the Commission president, personally reached out to Zelenskyy and conveyed her strong concerns about the consequences of the amendments, and she requested the Ukrainian government for explanations.
A participant of the demonstrations against Zelenskyy’s law, described the bill as a ’knife in the back.’
Amid pressure from street protests across Ukraine and warnings from European officials and international bodies, President Zelenskyy made a U-turn and submitted a new bill with what he called ’full-fledged guarantees’ of the independence of anti-corruption agencies.
It should be added that the scandal involving Ukrainian anti-corruption agencies has undoubtedly contributed to the unveiling of some further large-scale corruption crimes.
The Ukrainian authorities have arrested a number of officials on suspicion of corruption in relation to what they called a large scale bribery scheme involving military procurement. The arrests came days after Zelenskyy’s U-turn.
This time, the Ukrainian anti-corruption agencies had uncovered a kickbacks scheme. A member of Parliament, the heads of district and city military civil administrations, several National Guard servicemen and two businessmen were involved. Altogether six people had been arrested as part of an investigation by NABU and SAPO into ’large-scale corruption in the procurement of drones and electronic jamming equipment.’
According to the anti-corruption bodies’ joint statement, the essence of the scheme was to conclude state contracts with supplier companies at deliberately inflated prices – up to 30 percent of the contract amount was returned to the participants in the crime.
’In 2024–2025, an organised criminal group systematically misappropriated funds allocated by local authorities for defence needs,’ the NABU said adding, that the bribes totalled around 30% of the contracts’ value. The drone contract was worth $240,000 with an inflation of about $80,000, the bureau said.
In another corruption case, Ukrainian customs head Anatoliy Komar, in charge of energy import regulation, had been suspended following questions from an investigative media outlet about his lavish lifestyle. Ukraine’s customs chief responsible for overseeing gas and oil imports appears to live luxuriously on an official salary of merely €1,860. According to investigating journalists, his daughter attends expensive private universities in Cyprus and the UK, and enjoys luxury trips across the world. Komar himself owns a luxurious house near Kyiv, several apartments in the city, and a number of expensive cars.
Again, let’s repeat what was already stated above: all these cases have come just two weeks after Ukraine witnessed its largest protests against President Volodymyr Zelenskyy since the Russian invasion due to an effort to dismantle anti-corruption bodies.
Money and war are closely linked, they feed and fuel each other; this is a universal wisdom. The fact that the highest circles in Ukraine have been benefiting from the war has become obvious in recent years, given the huge number of cases of state-level corruption uncovered. At the same time, it is a mistake to believe that corruption can be defeated in Ukraine, a country where enormous funds flow in from Kyiv’s Western supporters.
For President Zelenskyy and his government, tolerating corruption in the defense sector, the largest recipient of Western funds, is a guarantee of survival. This is why, in the name of ’fighting corruption’, he was willing to betray his Western supporters. What is really disappointing is that even these latest scandals have not been able to create a real obstacle to Ukraine’s EU integration which means that Kyiv can continue its move closer and closer to EU funds.