First major anti-government protests in Ukraine since the start of the war

First major anti-government protests in Ukraine since the start of the war

The first significant anti-government protests took place in Ukraine on Tuesday since Russia's full-scale invasion more than three years ago. The population's anger was triggered by a move by President Volodymyr Zelensky to control anti-corruption authorities, which caused outrage across the country.

Protests in different cities

Angry crowds gathered in the capital Kyiv and in Lviv in the west of the country. Smaller groups gathered in Dnipro in the east and Odessa in the south after Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, passed a law giving oversight of two key anti-corruption agencies to the prosecutor general, a politically appointed figure.

Criticism of the change in the law

Critics argue that the move will severely hamper the two institutions, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO), and move Ukraine further away from its dream of becoming a member of the European Union. The EU has made it clear to Kiev that it must implement strong anti-corruption measures if it wants to become a member. The Biden administration has also called on the Ukrainian government to do more to fight corruption in 2023.

Corruption in Ukraine

Ukraine has long been considered one of the most corrupt countries in Europe. Corruption allegations have been made against some of the country's most senior officials, including several close allies of Zelensky, such as former deputy prime minister Oleksiy Tshernyshov.

Legislation and reactions

The law was quickly passed through parliament and signed by Zelensky on Tuesday evening. The Ukrainian president said in his late-night address that both organizations would “continue working,” but defended his move as a necessary measure to free the two agencies from “Russian influence.” This came after Ukrainian authorities raided one of the offices on Monday and arrested two employees “on suspicion of collaborating with Russian intelligence services.” Zelensky also criticized the previous system, which had led to proceedings being stopped for years.

Resistance inside and outside Ukraine

Opponents argue that the two agencies can no longer operate independently because the new law gives the attorney general the power to influence investigations and even dismiss cases. The criticism came from all social classes. Former Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called Tuesday “a bad day for Ukraine.”

Follow on the front line

Reaction to the changes has not gone unnoticed on the front line, where military officials are fighting to hold back Russian forces. Yegor Firsov, chief sergeant of a drone strike, expressed on Platform

Interactions with international partners

The two authorities concerned said in a joint statement that they were “deprived of the guarantees that previously enabled them to effectively carry out their tasks and functions in the fight against high-level corruption.” They called on the government to withdraw the law. Critically, the rejection is occurring both domestically and internationally, including from some of Ukraine's key Western allies.

International criticism of the change in the law

The Ukrainian branch of Transparency International, a leading independent non-profit organization that monitors corruption worldwide, previously called on Zelensky to veto the new law. The organization noted that the new law undermines Ukraine's independent anti-corruption institutions, considered "one of the greatest achievements" since the pro-European protests that sparked the 2014 Dignity Revolution.

Significance of the legal changes

The two agencies were created after the revolution to combat corruption at Ukraine's highest political levels. NABU is responsible for investigating allegations of corruption and hands them over to SAPO for prosecution once evidence has been collected. Transparency International noted that the new law would undermine international partners' trust in Ukraine, as numerous global organizations criticized the law.

Zelenskyj's main commitment

Combating widespread governance and corruption was Zelensky's main promise in the run-up to the 2019 elections. A former comedian with no political experience, he capitalized on voter disappointment over the issue. During the war, Zelensky fired numerous senior Ukrainian officials over corruption allegations and pushed his government's anti-corruption initiatives, including the National Anti-Corruption Strategy.

Criticism of the promises

International organizations, including the EU, the United Nations and the Group of Seven, have previously praised Zelensky's government for its anti-corruption efforts. However, the same organizations are now criticizing the new law, while critics in Ukraine say Zelensky's campaign promises to eliminate corruption were just empty promises.

With reporting from CNN's Victoria Butenko, Daria Tarasova-Markina and Max Saltman.