Zelenskyy brings anti-corruption and law enforcement heads together, shares group photo and speaks of constructive approach

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has brought the heads of Ukraine’s law enforcement and anti-corruption agencies together and said they have all agreed to work "purely constructively".

Source: Zelenskyy on X (Twitter)

Details: Zelenskyy, who described the meeting as "frank and constructive", said the attendees have agreed to hold an "in-depth working meeting" next week to discuss a joint action plan. A unified strategy, expected to be ready within two weeks, will outline what steps are needed and will be taken in order to make Ukraine stronger, resolve the current issues, deliver greater justice, and truly protect the interests of Ukrainian society.

The president also posted a group photo of everyone who was at the meeting.

Quote: "I am grateful to all the participants of today’s meeting: the Security Service of Ukraine, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine, the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, the National Agency on Corruption Prevention, the State Bureau of Investigation, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the Prosecutor General. We agreed that everyone would work solely in a constructive manner.

We all hear what society is saying. We see what people expect from state institutions – ensured justice and the effective functioning of each institution. We discussed the necessary administrative and legislative decisions that would strengthen the work of each institution, resolve existing contradictions, and eliminate threats. Everyone will work together. At the political level, we will provide support."

Why this matters: President Zelenskyy has yet to explicitly mention either the swiftly signed law of 22 July restricting the powers of the anti-corruption institutions or the protests against this law that took place on Tuesday evening in the government quarter, effectively "beneath the windows" of the President’s Office, and in several other Ukrainian cities.

Background:

• The Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament) voted at second reading for draft law No. 12414, according to which the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) – currently independent anti-corruption institutions – will become dependent on decisions made by the prosecutor general. 263 MPs voted in favour of the law.
• The heads of NABU and SAPO urged Zelenskyy not to sign the draft law, which will effectively destroy these institutions’ independence.
• However, late in the evening of 22 July, information appeared on the Verkhovna Rada website that Zelenskyy had signed bill No. 12414.

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