Ukraine’s law enforcement and anti-corruption institutions will present a joint action plan within two weeks aimed at strengthening the justice system, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on July 23.
The statement comes a day after mounting criticism of a new law seen as effectively destroying the independence of two key anti-graft bodies, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO).
Thousands of Ukrainians took to the streets on July 22 to protest the bill.
Speaking after a high-level meeting with the heads of Ukraine’s top law enforcement and anti-corruption bodies, Zelensky said the leaders agreed to develop coordinated reforms to restore public trust and ensure accountability.
“We all hear what society is saying,” Zelensky said. “We see what people expect from state institutions — ensured justice and the effective functioning of each institution.
“We discussed the necessary administrative and legislative decisions that would strengthen the work of each institution, resolve existing contradictions, and eliminate threats.”
Zelensky said an in-depth working session will take place next week, and a final joint plan will be ready the following week.
Defending the reform, the president stressed the importance of a justice system in which criminal cases are not stalled for years and individuals working against the Ukrainian state are held accountable.
Making his second public reaction to the bill, Zelensky did not openly address the demonstrations or the criticism about a threat to NABU and SAPO’s independence.
Editorial: Zelensky just betrayed Ukraine’s democracy — and everyone fighting for it
Editor’s note: This editorial has been updated to reflect the fact Zelensky signed the bill into law on the evening of July 22, as shown on the Parliament’s website. Last week, we warned of a coming anti-democratic backslide. Now, we see it happening. A parliamentary vote, led by President Volodymyr Zelensky’s lawmakers, today took away the independence of Ukraine’s key anti-corruption bodies — the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO). Z
The meeting included representatives from NABU, SAPO, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), the National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NAZK), the State Bureau of Investigation (DBR), the Interior Ministry, and the Prosecutor General’s Office.
In a joint statement following the meeting, NABU and SAPO emphasized that the recent legislative changes “significantly undermine the independence” of their institutions.
“From now on, NABU and SAPO are deprived of the guarantees that previously enabled them to effectively fulfill their mandate in combating high-level corruption,” the statement read.
The agencies stressed that restoring full and independent operations will require “clear and unambiguous legislative steps” to reinstate the safeguards removed by parliament.
“The rule of law and compliance with the law remain unchanged values for NABU and SAPO. We expect the same approach from other law enforcement agencies,” the agencies wrote.
The meeting comes as opposition lawmakers and civil society groups continue to push back against the legislation signed on July 22, which significantly expands the prosecutor general’s powers over NABU and SAPO, institutions previously designed to function independently of political influence.
The law, passed swiftly by lawmakers from Zelensky’s party and signed the same day, sparked nationwide protests and is expected to be challenged at the Constitutional Court. Yaroslav Zhelezniak, a lawmaker from the opposition Holos party, said parliamentarians have begun collecting signatures to launch the constitutional review process, which requires the signatures of at least 45 MPs.
Zhelezniak argued that the bill violated parliamentary procedures and threatens Ukraine’s commitments to the European Union.
Another Holos lawmaker, Inna Sovsun, said her team has already drafted an alternative bill aimed at repealing the new law and restoring institutional independence to the anti-corruption agencies.
Critics say the new framework reclassifies NABU and SAPO as ordinary law enforcement bodies, giving the prosecutor general authority to interfere in investigations, issue procedural orders, and block corruption cases.
‘We know how to stand up for our rights’ — Ukrainians protest law threatening anti-corruption institutions
Thousands of Ukrainians took to the streets following the parliament’s hasty decision to crush the independent anti-corruption institutions. Protesters gathered near the Ivan Franko Theater in downtown Kyiv — just a few blocks from the President’s Office — at 8 p.m. local time. By then, President Volodymyr Zelensky had not yet officially signed the newly adopted law that critics say was to dismantle the independence of two key anti-corruption bodies — the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU
