The public is largely disillusioned with President Zelenskyy's handling of anti-corruption efforts, expressing severe frustration and distrust regarding his governance, particularly in light of recent actions that are perceived as undermining democratic institutions. Call for accountability and significant change dominate the comments, highlighting concerns over corruption amidst the ongoing war with Russia.

President Zelenskyy

Ukrainian Government

Protesters

What is the reason parliament want to dismantle anti-corruption institutions? 
What is the issue they are trying to resolve?

EducationalImpact633

AunMeLlevaLaConcha

Despite the political element,  this is what Russia really fears. A democratic, free Ukraine where Ukrainians voice their needs to their government.

cealild

As much as I love to see democracy alive and well in Ukraine, I can't help but be extremely concerned for these people's safety

theshadypineapple

What an unbelievable mis step by the government.

ukrainianhab

I would like to remark to that the protests are not against dismanteling the institutions, but again the signature of the amendments to the draft law №12414 by the President of Ukraine, which would require the autorisation of the prosecutor general to investigate corruption schemes. In nutshell, these amendments will make NABU and SAPO to depend on the will of the prosecutor general. I quote a translation of the paragraph of a law

&gt;Detectives of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine, in order to prevent, detect, stop and solve criminal offences referred to in this Article under its jurisdiction, by decision of the Director of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and in agreement with the Prosecutor General (person performing his/her duties) may also investigate criminal offences referred to the jurisdiction of investigators of other bodies.

No_Willingness1899

Yeah, so this is not great. I know for a fact that my government (Norway) have been hesitant to support Ukraine with money because of the fear of corruption. 

I hope Ukraine understands that they have to be clean as a whistle if they want continued support. That support will dry up real fast if it shows that our tax money is not used in good faith.

beseri

herbettalou

Slava Ukraini 🇺🇦🇺🇦 
Never Surrender

ubo17

Some context:

Zelensky's party (People's Servants) with bunch of other delegates accepted law that basically would make NABU (Anti-Corruption Agency of Ukraine made per EU and IMF request; rather ineffective, but exist...ed?) to obey with Prosecutor-General orders, who's appointed by President. Before they were independent from the government, acting in their own field.

President is yet to sign it tho.

Before it, NABU and government got into clash, as NABU opened cases against many officials, partly including Zelensky himself (one of the inspected cases PROBABLY was tied to him; so 'partly') and SBU started to arrest some of the NABU servicemen, stating that they're spies. It isn't known if they actually were or not yet.

It isn't first time of them interfering with Zelensky's appointees, eg Knyzev, former Head of Supreme Court of Ukraine, appointed by Zelensky, was arrested after their case. But Ukraine judicial system is messy, so he's still under investigation (but under personal commitment and fired from his status).

Mamkes

This is bad for continuing support for Ukraine. Many nations have stated corruption as a barrier to aid, and moves like this will undermine the strides that have been made. I'm surprised Zelensky doesn't see that?

SemiDesperado

Ukrainians are good people. It is imperative that we, EU, continue to help

LudwigLoewenlunte

Could there be more to this then we know? Or could there be others pulling some strings?

SnooCalculations3197

To all foreign friends out there: imagine our faces when this shit came up and the WAR is still nowhere near the end

It’s becoming hard to not being an alcoholic

overSizedHyperPoop

I'm worried about People and mainly Russian bots that are going to use this to push a pro russian agenda you know it will happen online

Samuelwankenobi_

They just shit everything good the army and people on the frontlines have done.

For what?

CraftAnxious2491

russia works in various ways, when they don’t try to kill you, they will try to corrupt you. Don’t let them win.

ArtemiOll

So many questions. On the broad side, people will see this is as a very bad thing. 

I don’t know if Ukraine is even ready to be very democratic while at war. Even the USA has so many flaws and we got Trump in power knowing full well he was corrupted, tempered and cheated with all kind of sht. Even knowing he would help Russia. 

What if the anti corruption is corrupted, working on taking down the best generals and fighter within Ukraine? Does Ukraine have the resources to investigate them while at war with Russia?

letsridetheworld

Well, I do not know about the background and cannot comment on what would be the best way or if Zelensky is this or that.

But can we just acknowledge that these are peaceful protests of large groups. And no sign of any police trying to break them up.

Ukraine is a democracy now and for me, Zelensky is upholding the law.

Democracy is not about finding the perfect solution, but negotiating compromise.

I am just happy for those Ukrainians to have the freedom to protest on the streets. Go try that in Moscow. Or L.A.

IamKrefible

What an unwise move if you expect the rest of the world to pump billions of $$$ into that country.

AZMD911

Great to see people standing up for themselves, I will stay home and play video games but I'm glad others are willing to go out.

artlastfirst

That's basically happening here in the us (just the dismantling of anti-corruption institutions, not the protests against them) but everyone is more concerned with why the government won't release the files of a convicted pedophile because they obviously implicate our president...who is no longer supporting Ukraine.

copperglass78

Dismantling anti-corruption institutions? Good luck getting any more support and donations, if this is the way they’re going.

GatorNator83

It's actually heartbreaking to watch Ukrainian politicians sabotaging the countries EU accession over and over and over again, even though the people clearly want it.
 
On the other hand, the Ukrainian people time and time again show the rest of the world the importance of standing up to your government  in a meaningful way.
 
Really hope these protests will lead to something.

S1mba93

dhanter

Internal strife like this is the last thing Ukraine needs,  it is very sad,  ...and l really hate to say this but it could even result in the beginning of the end for Ukraine..

IndicationLazy4713

[deleted]

This is truly a disgrace. Ultimate power ultimately corrupts. Just look at Hungary.

ElectricDoughnutHole

Ukraine also recently arrested an anti corruption activist and a political opponent. I am all for Ukraine but this is a very bad sign.

Heliomantle

as an outside observer, i would trust Zelensky, whatever he does

Putrid-Material5197

What's gonna happen now? What does it mean?

_grizzlydog

Jdghgh

I think this might just be one of those situations where it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission...Only time will tell.

HonestBobcat7171

didnt he run on an anti corruption platform

Pristine-Breath6745

Really BAD move by the Ukrainian government. Look, I'm against Russian imperialism and Russia is no better in terms of corruption, but this law is perhaps the worst decision that the current Ukrainian government since 2019 has made yet.

TheAustrianAnimat87

Two2Trails

Callum1710

This is a move to try to mitigate Russian influence. Nabu agents were found to be working for Putin, transparency Ukraine audited  them as is and said they were only moderately effective. Basically corrupt anti-corruption agency.

Doomlord1s

I see people who care and will not accept bullshit from anyone. The future is bright, this is why Ukraine belongs in EU, not russia

Jewboy08

Im skeptical of any anti Zelensky article. I see after scrolling quite a bit down that there’s more to the story and it involves countering Russian influence on some agencies.  Keep in mind the power of Russian propaganda and their troll farms and fake accounts.

3kniven6gash

disturbed_waffles

I’m assuming this is something Trump is making him do, trump is doing similar things in destroying anti corruption laws. This could be to put him in a tough spot where you either don’t get military aid or you get public pushback 

Inevitable-Steph

From a politico article it says that the anti-corruption agency members were revealed to have ties to Russia, however the evidence against them was "murky" and being seen as a pretext to undermine the anti-corruption agencies. Most European leaders and diplomats are also criticizing the law.

High_Ground-

Why is OP getting downvoted for posting this?  Are we supposed to blindly worship Ukraine because of the Russian invasion?

zimbabwes

Regardless of the politics of this, sounds like a pretty bad idea to have a ton of people in one place like this, in a war zone.

OneRobotBoii

I'd say that's a valid protest given recent events. 

"President Volodymyr Zelenskiy broadened his battle against graft on Friday, firing all the heads of Ukraine's regional army recruitment centres as the war with Russia enters a critical stage.

Zelenskiy said a state investigation into centres across Ukraine had exposed abuses by officials ranging from illegal enrichment to transporting draft-eligible men across the border despite a wartime ban on them leaving the country."

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraine-fire-all-regional-military-recruitment-chiefs-zelenskiy-2023-08-11/

"The commander of a Ukrainian army unit accused of subjecting soldiers to abuse including mock crucifixions is facing corruption charges after allegedly ordering troops to build him a house.

Colonel Oleh Poberezhniuk, the commander of the 211th Pontoon Bridge Brigade, was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of taking four soldiers from their duties to do construction work for his new home in the Khmelnytskyi region in autumn 2023."

https://www.yahoo.com/news/commander-ukraine-mock-crucifixion-army-174432715.html

lemmiwinks316

People who are downvoting this are dumb. Just because many of us support Ukraine in their defense of Russia shouldn't mean we ignore the other issues the country is facing.

CrimsonEagle124

pnkgtr

Even a casual perusal of OP's post history reveals a pattern of negative posts about Ukraine, so even if this is a legitimate post, they most certainly appear to be strongly invested in presenting a very negative image of Ukraine online.  Multiple comments discussing Russia's military strength as well.

Do what you will with that information

Descartessetracsed

Pretty much everyone BESIDES Zelensky has been replaced in the past 2 years due to rampant corruption... then he signs this? 

Odd coincidence! /s

EUGsk8rBoi42p

Ukraine has had the reputation for being one of the most corrupt countries in the world. Things have only gotten worse since the Russian invasion.

Ok_Region1835

One of Europe's most corrupt countries being corrupt. Who'd a thunk it?

hotpot1997

now rebuild it without an evidence sharing agreement with the united states

Thestrongestzero

DajoDaBrain

They'll all be rounded up and taken to the front for this little demonstration

CallousDisregard13

Yeah, I’m not persuaded that  Zelensky signed this bill because he wants to make corruption easier, so I think there’s something going on.

b1daly

Sure thing Boris.

Keep up looking for Moose &amp; Squirrel!

covfefe-boy

copacabanna1

Dang ain’t no working person happy in this world. 

Sea-Region1135

Not defending Ukraine here but some contributors seem to be forgetting that the USA is possibly the most corrupt country on the planet right now.

Slava Ukraini

Ehernan

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a-mirror-bot

I feel so bad for the Ukrainian people that they are led by an idiot.

thehappyleper213

xu235

alannwatts

Ain’t it beautiful how they’re allowed to protest, even during war time (though not technically allowed). Good luck even thinking of doing that in Russia or Belarus.

Ukraine must remain being free and democratic. Stay strong Ukraine 💪.

Gil15

Mediocratee

Dumb move by Selensky honestly. He has emergency powers, last thing you want to do when the entire country trusts you is misuse that trust.

Altruistic_Bass539

Western media: "Worship Ukraine because Russia is bad"

Mission_Pay_3373

Title is making it sound like they are being destroyed but they are not. The organizations are not being destroyed but the agencies won’t be independent anymore. The Prosecutor General who is appointed by Zelenskyy will have more power in deciding which corruption cases are pursued. This is why you see protests and will probably come back to hurt the country in the future.

PenguinKing15

Muted-Ad610

Ah and people still claim Ukraine isnt controlled by a nazi party in 2025.

May the proletariat of Ukraine and Russia overthrow their bourgeoisie nazi governments and be free

666SpeedWeedDemon666

They passed it incredibly fast. Amendments were made and approved by parliament this morning, Zelensky signed it into law this evening and minutes after that the law was published making effective immediately.  

I won’t be surprised if they would start changing heads of those agencies and closing cases tomorrow morning.

**Upd:** According to one PM parliament is going on vacation tomorrow for 4 weeks.

BlackMarine

ELI5: Why is this being done, please?  

Edit: Thanks everyone!

Szemoldoktetko


Can someone explain, without the bias, why 263 lawmakers signed this? (with only 13 against, 13 abstaining) - I feel we are missing a lot of context here

anotherwave1

We’re really mad about this in Ukraine. People went to unprepared manifestation yesterday, I guess today will be the same. And it’s prohibited to do manifestations during martial law here, but people still decided to do it.

greenmood3

You guys have no idea how angry and exhausted Ukrainian society feels right now…

Time_Yak2422

I think Zelensky has to accept some oversight from the EU in this situation. We support them because they are a democracy fighting against totalitarian Russia. However, if Zelensky would stop the fight against corruption, that support will diminish quickly.

Jazzlike-Sky-6012

This is a huge gift to russia and pro russia bad actors that will use this as an excuse to try to cut funds to the people of Ukraine.

GreenEyeOfADemon

They want to lose the support and the war? Is that it?

eloyend

Not a good look considering Ukraine is one of the most corrupt country in Europe, just above Serbia and Bielorus and below all other european countries in the CPI system, with a score of 35, ranking 105/180.

Urzuck

I feel so bad for the people in Ukraine. They've sacrificed so much, is it all going to be for nothing if Ukraine falls because of these cronies?

Budget_Scheme_1280

AmIDeadAgainNow

- "The bill was passed with the support of 263 lawmakers, with 13 voting against it and 13 abstaining."

I definitely need more info. MAYBE there was a legitimate reason for this

But at first glance this looks bad... Its been reported on that Ukraine is one of the most corrupt European nations.

Street_Exercise_4844

This is the opposite of what Ukraine needs. Trust in Zelensky immediately down.

solvedproblem

EU should play hard on this. Cut the law or we cut supplies. Otherwise Ukraine will dismantle itself

absolutely incredible what theyre pulling of in the middle of a war for survival. Id say what should happen to them but that would get me banned

OkKnowledge2064

You mean he is destroying the only neutral thing there? A anti-corruption agency which was specific demanded by the west 10 years ago and can act independent from the president?

But I'm sure my fellow NAFO members are going to explain me why this is the right way and why its because of the russians or putin himself? Please do it.

green_tumble

Zelensky just shoot in his own leg. The reaction of people and media in Ukraine is very-very expected. You can see it by only emoji under the post in Kyiv media:

https://imgur.com/a/tKRE6Xe

scp_euclid_object

They are asking why they cant join EU and this is the reason why…

netr0pa

I support Ukraine but the idea that the country isn’t riddled with corruption is simply stupid. It’s why they are decades off being accepted into the EU and any talk of it is just lip service.

Hutcho12

People saying we should stop supporting Ukraine because of this while we do business with a lot less democratic places.

Shadow_Gabriel

I wonder which corrupt official(s) was / were important enough to him to sacrifice this much good will, both domestically and internationally.

Thr0wevenfurtheraway

War, perfect time for everything bad. Even if you are not the aggressor it's still a great time for corruption to take over. Beautiful

gg-ghost1107

PressureTime5816

Ukraine will never be a part of EU or NATO. It is to dangerous. It very simple.

If Europeans want to continue living in peace, then Ukraine can not be part of it.

ChiefOnes

The optics are *horrible*. No doubt there. But on the other side, it's not just possible that Russia managed to get agents inside of the anti-corruption agency, it's *likely* \- if I were Putin, I'd not take chances and instead look into permeating the entire infrastructure of Ukraine, similar to what Israeli Mossad did in Iran.

Zelenskyj is once again faced with a choice between two mutually exclusive options: either look into the anti-corruption agencies and if they are influenced or monitored by Russia and risk Western support, or not do anything and let Russian agents stay in positions where they can abuse their legal powers to spy for Russia. And additionally, he or people in his inner circle may actually *also* be corrupt which could be uncovered strategically by either Russian agents or legitimate officials, undermining the already thin support in his government.

IMHO, the only solution that has a remote chance of working out is to invite outside, reasonably impartial expertise, aka EU's OLAF authority. That of course comes with its own challenges - language barriers, obtaining volunteers willing to go to a country in an active war scenario, but also the logistical question on how to keep these foreign officials safe from Russian strikes, especially from completely random drone terrorism.

mschuster91

Some people are saying we should stop supporting Ukraine.

In my opinion better way would be to threaten to freeze ALL funds, not arms and other military supplies. Ukrainian army and people still fight and die for their country in spite of what Zelensky and his party do. Their government needs EU money to exist, so let's use that advantage and force them to make drastic changes and not half-measures like they did so far.

And most importantly, get rid of Yermak and his cronies. (I know Zelensky is not a saint too, but I don't see how fair elections could happen with 1/5th of the country occupied by Russia).

eggnog232323

This is a betrayal of the Ukrainian Revolution and will weaken the struggle against Russian Fascism.

mnessenche

Ukrainian corruption?

Lev, Igor and manafort lost in the memory.

pepchang

Ukraine should invite nato or some similar organization to do its anticorruption work

electriclux

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy faces backlash as thousands protest against a law undermining key anti-corruption agencies, jeopardizing Ukraine's EU membership aspirations.

Ukraine Anti-Corruption Protests

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