Zelensky neuters corruption watchdogs, sparking protests

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is facing the first major anti-government protests since Russia's invasion, after lawmakers passed a bill Tuesday weakening two key anti-corruption agencies. Why it matters: The bill, which multiple reports say Zelensky has now signed, has already drawn outrage from Ukrainian activists and media outlets and could damage Ukraine's relations with its Western backers.A source close to Zelensky tried to downplay the impact of the bill but said the street protests by the opposition were legitimate and a part of Ukraine's democracy.Driving the news: The law significantly curtails the independence of Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the affiliated Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO).Those bodies were established after the 2014 "Maidan Revolution" and designed to be autonomous. Leaders in the U.S. and EU, and activists in Ukraine, had pushed for such independent institutions to be established and empowered in order to clean up entrenched corruption in Ukrainian politics.That pressure died down after Russia's invasion, but Zelensky and his allies may just have brought it back to the forefront.Between the lines: Relations between Kyiv and Washington have warmed dramatically" in recent weeks, but Zelensky may be playing with fire given Trump's past claims that Ukraine is highly corrupt and Zelensky is a "dictator without elections" because Ukraine is under martial law.The administration has yet to comment on the legislation, and the White House did not respond to a request for comment.Hundreds of protesters gathered in Kyiv after the bill passed, chanting "corruption equals death."How it happened: The bill was rushed through parliament under pressure from Zelensky's office, the Economist reports.The move, which was preceded by raids targeting the anti-corruption agencies, prompted speculation that investigations were closing in on members of Zelensky's inner circle, according to that report.Earlier this month, Ukrainian also arrested arguably the country's most prominent anti-corruption activist, Vitaliy Shabunin, an outspoken Zelensky critic.Zelensky also reshuffled his government, elevating arch-loyalists, and blocked the appointment of a detective chosen to run another anti-corruption body.The other side: The source close to Zelensky argued the two anti-corruption agencies have been working for several years without a lot of results. "Most corruption cases were discovered by the domestic security service," the source claimed.State of play: Zelensky has yet to personally defend the law or even confirm he has signed it. In the meantime, critics of the move are unleashing some of the harshest domestic criticism he has faced in three years.The editorial leading the Kyiv Independent on Tuesday afternoon summed up that sentiment: "Zelensky just betrayed Ukraine's democracy — and everyone fighting for it."

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