For the past three years, the European Union has called for the “as long as it takes” mantra “as long as it takes” to reaffirm it over and over again in combating Russia’s brutal full-scale invasion.
The pledge was not merely rhetorical. It includes financial support, arms and ammunition, energy security, roaming services, Free trade and temporary protection refugees. Block’s Proposed 7-year budget It features independent tailored funds worth 100 billion euros to help the country rebuild its long term.
But for the first time this week, when the European Commission denounced new Ukrainian laws under uncertainty, its unbroken front cracked for the first time.
The law is designed to pass Parliament at a speed that appears to have been caught off guard through Brussels and bring in two anti-corruption groups. The Ukrainian National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) are political appointees under the direct supervision of the prosecutors.
Prosecutors are now permitted to select cases handled by Nabu and SAPO and reassign them to entities in other states. Critics say there is a risk that government agencies will shake up and perhaps strengthen their high-profile investigations. Prosecutors may also give written directions to the agency.
The fact that the vote was held in Congress was held the day after the security services attacked the NABU office. Regarding the claim Russian spy added to his anger.
Marta Kos, the European Expansion Committee Chairman, who is tasked with evaluating progress by candidate countries, was the first to express her disapproval.
“I am seriously concerned about today’s vote at RADA. The dismantling of the main safeguards protecting Nab’s independence is a serious step,” Koss said on social media.
The warning was harsh, but to no avail. A few hours later, inside A turmoil from protesters All across Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed the bill.
“Anti-corruption infrastructure only works without Russian influence. It needs to be exempt from it. And there should be more justice,” Zelenki said in an evening speech, referring to the recent attack on Nab’s office.
“It is important for prosecutors to ensure that in Ukraine there is indeed a guarantee that the inevitability of punishment for people who violate the law. This is what Ukraine really needs.”
The next day, an extraordinary conflict escalated when Ursula von der Leyen called Zelenskyy and asked for an explanation about it Controversial law.
“President von der Leyen has expressed her strong concerns about the outcome of the revision,” the spokesman said. “Respect for the rule of law and the fight against corruption is a central component of the European Union. As a candidate country, Ukraine is expected to fully maintain these standards. We cannot compromise.”
Hours after the call, Zelenskyy promised to introduce a new bill to “ensure the strength of the legal system” without giving details.
Separation of force
Practical interventions indicate the high-risk gambling that Kyiv is taking.
The fight against corruption was central to Ukrainian ambitions to join the bloc. It was one of the first issues raised by reporters and analysts when Zelenskyy submitted membership applications in the first few days of the Russian war, and discussions between the capital remained prominent subject matter as it gained traction.
Corruption has been a notorious issue in Ukraine since the collapse of the Soviet Union. This has exploited the chaos of the political transition and plundered the senior sector of the economy. Corruption has been detected in the election, judicial, administrative, education systems and business sectors, creating an impression of widespread penetration.
Transparency International is consistent Ranking Ukraine among Europe’s worst performers on corruption. The country’s score has grown moderately over the past decade, but remains outside the top 100.
Keeping in mind the horrifying challenges, the committee strengthened its fight against seven corruption that Ukraine had to meet before it officially began accession negotiations.
leader I agreed to start a lecture In December 2023, Kyiv made some progress in anti-corruption, orichalkaization, and minority rights.
Since then, Brussels has encouraged Ukraine to continue its efforts. This is essential to convince international donors and investors to bring capital to the country.
Latest version In an expanded report released in October 2024, it was found that Ukraine “furtherly improved” the reliability of its anti-corruption framework and “strengthened the independence and institutional capacity” of NABU and SAPO, created in response to the 2014 revolution.
Nabu investigates top-level corruption, and the case has been overseen and charged by SAPO. The case is then tested by the Anti-Corruption Court.
“Nabu and Sapo will remain operational effectiveness and remain important institutional pillars in anti-corruption infrastructure,” the committee said.
The report highlighted the fact that SAPO has become a “separate corporation” from the prosecutor’s office and recommended that the head of SAPO be allowed from the prosecutor to open an investigation “independently” to members of Congress.
These elements will be nulled by new laws that put prosecutors at the top of both agencies.
Conscious separation?
The obvious backslide threatens to exacerbate the already instability of Ukraine’s European integration.
Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban imposed an irresistible veto that prevented the country from opening up the first cluster of accession negotiations known as the foundation. The cluster also covers the fight against corruption.
Orban focuses his opposition on the fact that Ukraine is a nation of war, and in his view he fails to respect the rights of Hungary minorities. The Prime Minister branded the outcome of the national consultation as a “strong mission” to freeze bids.
In response to Orban’s actions, the committee He came to Kiev’s defense with great forceclaims that there is no objective reason to block the first cluster.
“Things are really clear. As we speak, Ukraine is making reforms in the most difficult situation we can imagine,” the spokesman said earlier this month.
The queue over anti-corruption reforms provides Orban and other skeptics with fresh debate to derail the subscription process, and perhaps inevitably burn speculation about the potential separation of bids in Ukraine and Moldova.
The two eastern countries applied for EU membership shortly after Russia began a full-scale invasion and were declared candidates on the same day June 2022. Since then they have moved together as a “couple.”
The committee equally considers that both are ready to open the first cluster, and is waiting for Member States to give unanimous go. In particular, Orban has not expressed any reservations on Moldova’s ambitions. That is, while Kee-Ih waited for his veto to be lifted, Qi Yin Wu was able to unleash the next stage of negotiation.
To date, member countries I was passive To separate the bid, they fear that doing so will be a big victory for Orban and an exciting defeat for Ukraine. Disputes over the Anti-Corruption Act can encourage a change in mindset.
“The events in Ukraine are very worrying and there is no risk of undermining Ukraine’s EU accession process, which is already stagnant due to Hungary’s veto on the opening of base clusters,” said Amanda Pola, senior policy analyst at the European Policy Centre (EPC).
“I believe it will give momentum to the debate about dismantling Moldova in Ukraine. It is unfair to hold Moldova down for the development of Ukraine.”
The fight against corruption is not crucial for Ukraine’s entry. It is also ingrained in the country’s commitment to the European Commission as a condition for receiving staged payments under a dedicated €50 billion fund.
These payments are essential to maintaining public services and paying wages, representing strong leverage if Brussels decides to escalate the showdown until Kyiv reverses the legal changes and restores Nabu and Sapo’s independence.
A committee spokesperson said it is too early to speculate on the possibility of a funding freeze at this stage.
