Zelenskyy meets law enforcement chiefs, unveils joint anti-corruption plan amid public pressure

Zelenskyy shared details of the meeting on social media.

Present at the meeting were Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko; Security Service chief Vasyl Maliuk; NABU Director Semen Kryvonos; SAPO head Oleksandr Klymenko; National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NAZK) chief Serhii Huliak; State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) head Oleksii Sukhachov; and Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko.

Zelenskyy described the discussion as “much-needed, frank, and constructive,” thanking the participants for their willingness to work as a team in Ukraine’s national interest.

“We all share a common enemy: the Russian occupiers. And defending the Ukrainian state requires a strong enough law enforcement and anti-corruption system — one that ensures a real sense of justice,” Zelenskyy said.

“Criminal proceedings must not drag on for years without lawful verdicts. And those who work against Ukraine must not feel comfortable or immune to the inevitability of punishment.”

He emphasized that cooperation between the presidency and law enforcement agencies would be “solely constructive.”

“We all hear what society is saying. 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. Everyone will work together. At the political level, we will provide support,” Zelenskyy stated.

According to the president, it was agreed that a deeper working-level meeting will take place next week to shape a unified plan of action. Within two weeks, the joint plan should be finalized, outlining specific steps to strengthen Ukraine, resolve outstanding issues, deliver greater justice, and protect the interests of Ukrainian society.

Background

On July 22, Zelenskyy signed into law a controversial bill passed by the Verkhovna Rada that significantly curtails the independence of NABU and SAPO. Several provisions shift key powers to the Prosecutor General’s Office — placing both bodies under the influence of the executive.

The bill — draft law No. 12414 — amends the Criminal Code to:

• Allow the Prosecutor General to remove cases from NABU and assign them to other bodies;
• Effectively give the Prosecutor General supervisory control over SAPO, including the power to reassign its prosecutors;
• Grant the Prosecutor General authority to issue binding written instructions to NABU detectives;
• Permit the Prosecutor General to unilaterally close high-profile cases.

Additionally, SAPO’s ability to determine investigative jurisdiction in some cases will be limited, and its chief will lose the authority to resolve disputes over which body should investigate certain cases or amend appeals filed by SAPO prosecutors.

After signing the bill, Zelenskyy claimed that NABU and SAPO would continue their work and that the Prosecutor General was committed to ensuring genuine accountability.

Still, the move triggered widespread protests in major cities across Ukraine. Thousands of citizens called on the president to veto the law, warning it weakens the country’s anti-corruption architecture at a time when transparency and rule of law are under intense scrutiny — both domestically and from international partners.