U.S. Senators warn Kyiv against undermining anti-corruption progress

This is noted in the senators’ joint declaration.

“Ukraine has made enormous strides on its anti-corruption agenda since the Revolution of Dignity. Notably, this progress was made while Ukraine was fighting against Russia’s aggression — which is a testament to the extraordinary will of the Ukrainian people. The Verkhovna Rada’s recent passage of a law, signed by President Zelenskyy, we fear undermines much of that progress and goes against Ukraine’s tremendous fighting spirit as well as the expectations of Ukraine’s citizenry and the international community,” the statement reads.

The senators noted that one of the most common arguments for ending support to Ukraine is corruption. Shaheen and Graham called on the government to refrain from any actions that would undermine anti-corruption progress.

“There continues to be significant bipartisan support for Ukraine and agreement that it is in Ukraine’s interest—and our own—to meet the expectations of its citizenry and ensure that governance structures guarantee Ukraine’s economic prosperity and future U.S. investments,” they added.

• On July 22, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a bill passed by the Verkhovna Rada that includes provisions limiting the powers of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP), placing their activities under the authority of the Prosecutor General. The bill’s status card was updated three times: initially marked as signed by the president, then the note disappeared, and later the signature of Zelenskyy reappeared.
• After the vote in the Verkhovna Rada, thousands of Ukrainians in major cities held peaceful protests, demanding that the president veto the law that significantly limits the powers of the anti-corruption agencies.
• On July 23, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that he is preparing a presidential bill to strengthen law enforcement and ensure independence of anti-corruption institutions.