Pressure builds on Zelenskyy over corruption agency changes as protests continue
Ukraine's European backers including Germany, France and Sweden raised concerns about new legislation, which the Ukrainian president approved on Tuesday night. They warned it could hamper Kyiv's attempt to join the EU and hinder the fight against corruption.
The bill – hastily endorsed by Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada on Tuesday – in effect places the agencies under government control. They are the national anti-corruption bureau (Nabu) and the specialised anti-corruption prosecutor's office (Sapo).
Zelenskyy has defended the changes, saying they were needed to clean Ukraine's 'anti-corruption infrastructure' of Russian connections. They give sweeping powers to the prosecutor general's office, which now can close down cases against top officials.
On Wednesday, he convened a meeting with the heads of law enforcement and anti-corruption agencies at his presidential office in Kyiv. They had agreed to work constructively and to come up with a joint plan of action next week to strengthen Ukraine, he said.
But Zelenskyy did not directly address criticism from civil society activists, who accuse him of mounting a power-grab and of falling to listen. Veterans, Kyiv's mayor, Vitali Klitschko, and other prominent figures have called on the president to repeal the bill.
Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the European Commission, also voiced her unhappiness about the legislative amendments. She had asked Ukraine's president for explanations and had conveyed to him her strong concerns, her spokesperson said.
They added: 'The respect for the rule of law and the fight against corruption are core elements of the European Union. As a candidate country, Ukraine is expected to uphold these standards fully. There cannot be a compromise.'
In a pointed message to Kyiv, the EU's defence commissioner, Andrius Kubilius, said trust during wartime was 'easy to lose with one significant mistake by the leadership … Transparency and open European dialogue is the only way to repair [it].'
France's European minister, Benjamin Haddad, said there was still time for Ukraine to reverse its decision. 'It is not too late to go back on this,' he told France Inter radio. 'We will be extremely vigilant on the subject.'
It is unclear if Zelenskyy will give in to pressure at home and abroad, or try to tough out what is turning into the biggest domestic political crisis of his premiership. Tuesday's street protests, which took place in several cities, were the first since Vladimir Putin's 2022 full-scale invasion.
Civil-society leaders have accused the presidential administration of violating an informal contract with society. They say the agreement with government – that it was inappropriate to criticise official abuses because of the war with Russia – is definitively over.
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About 1,500 demonstrators gathered directly outside Zelenskyy's administration complex on Tuesday evening, shouting slogans beneath his window. They included 'shame', 'we are the power', and 'veto the law'. They held up anti-government banners, one of which read: 'Are you fucking crazy?'
Posting on Telegram, Zelenskyy said Ukrainians faced a 'common enemy' in the shape of 'Russian occupiers'. Of public criticism, he said: 'We all hear what society says. We see what people expect from state institutions to ensure justice and the efficiency of each institution.'
Yuri Sak, a former adviser to Ukraine's defence ministry, said Ukrainians had a strong historical tradition of protesting against anything that resembled authoritarianism or dictatorship, in Soviet times and today.
'It's in our DNA. We have a very good sense for where the red line is, and for when people cross this line. If anyone tries to tighten their grip on power people pour into the streets,' he said, citing the uprisings in 2004 and 2014 against perceived government misrule.
Sak likened the collective mood to the air raid alerts that sound most evenings, when Kyiv and other cities came under Russian missile attack. 'Whenever we see authoritarianism on the move, a silent siren goes off in Ukrainian heads,' he suggested.
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The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
Putin offers no hint of concessions as he says he wants ‘stable' peace in Ukraine
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Times
2 hours ago
- Times
Times letters: PM's backing for a third runway at Heathrow
Write to letters@ Sir, Your leading article ('Cleared for Takeoff', Aug 1) and the cogently argued business commentary by Alistair Osborne ('Heathrow runway is an expensive folly', Aug 1) both admit that Heathrow should not be there in the first place. Indeed, and if one is in a hole any sensible reaction would be to stop digging. We all know that the costs of £21 billion for the runway and £12 billion on top of that for another terminal will end up hugely inflated, and that the upgrades necessary for transportation to and from Heathrow will incur further enormous expenditure. Sooner or later there will be a catastrophe when an aircraft crashes on London, made all the more likely when power failures and control systems can cause such mayhem. Ministers' lip service to environmental considerations is further exposed as James Stevens CurlHolywood, Co Down Sir, You report that 'work is under way within the government to curb the ability of environmental groups and other campaigners to bring legal challenges against national infrastructure projects' ('M25 could be relocated 'overnight' to build a third Heathrow runway', Aug 1). One can only wonder what Labour would have said had the Conservatives tried to bring in such HartRickmansworth, Herts Sir, Old campaigners against a third runway at Heathrow will now have to dust off their posters and letters of protest: clearly we are all going to have to go through the old arguments again. Nothing appears to have happened to change the Department for Transport's own study. This suggested that if more airport capacity were really needed then on both economic and environmental grounds it should be at McLuskeyAshford, Middx Sir, Proposals for a third runway at Heathrow and another at Gatwick are misguided. The skies over southeast England are already overcrowded and new runways will simply increase the problem. The answer is to build a five-runway, state-of-the-art airport in the Thames Estuary, with fast rail links. This would serve our needs for the next century. Heathrow and Gatwick could then be closed down, freeing up land for much-needed PrattStorrington, W Sussex Sir, It astounds me that whenever the disruption and cost of expanding Heathrow is discussed there is never any mention of Birmingham airport. It is located in a relatively unpopulated area with a mainline rail station and good public access: it is next to motorway links and is about an hour from the capital by car or train. But of course, it's not London — silly JohnsonWolverhampton Sir, I wonder if my children will have retired by the time the third runway at Heathrow is operational? In China, or indeed France, the planning and construction would be rapidly accomplished. No one would expect that in the ValePewsey, Wilts Sir, Having seen the PM's plans for a third runway at Heathrow, perhaps Sir Humphrey should whisper in his ear: 'Remember HS2.'Martin WrightChinnor, Oxon Sir, Italians will be aware that most of the projects Edward Lucas praises in his article were actually initiated before 2022, the year Giorgia Meloni became prime minister ('Confident Italy shows us how to bounce back', comment, Jul 31). She inherited a €198 billion loan from the EU, which I suspect Rachel Reeves would welcome and do good things with. If Lucas were to come further south on holiday he would find unemployment in the eight provinces of southern Italy 10 per cent higher than the richer north that he visited. A total of 18.9 per cent of Italians live in poverty, and the figure is increasing. GDP per capita has not increased since Meloni became PM and government debt as a share of GDP has increased under her Gozi MEPFormer Italian secretary of state for European Affairs Sir, Edward Lucas's overenthusiastic assessment of Italy's thriving and booming economy overlooks the simple and very sad fact that Italy still offers very few opportunities for young people, even those with university degrees. They find it easier to find a job in a café in London than in Milan or Rome. It's still pretty impossible to get a position at an Italian university if one lacks a powerful backer. Bright scientists and academics instead flock to the US or the UK. Nasa, for example, has many Italians working there as do many Ivy League universities, as well as Oxford and Salvatore Santagati (PhD, LSE)London W1 Sir, Sydney Sweeney and Jacob Rees-Mogg may have better luck than my wife (TMS, Jul 31). A couple of years ago my wife was dropping off a bag for her brother at the Cavalry and Guards Club. The doorman took one look at the jeans she was wearing and before she could say a word politely pointed out that the RAF Club was next door.J Martin ScottShaftesbury, Dorset Sir, The fall in numbers of students studying modern languages is indeed dire (news, Jul 31; letter, Aug 1). I agree with Nick Hillman of the Higher Education Policy Institute that the withdrawal of the compulsory study of languages was 'probably the worst educational policy of this century'. A wider grasp of the heritage of Europe (and at degree level, training in cogently assembling a wide range of facts) is useful in many professions. Megan Bowler is right that a 'linguistic mindset fosters vital skills'. Indeed, many of my students leave university for successful careers in journalism and the law and are destined for the higher echelons of management and government. We will not re-establish meaningful relationships with our neighbours with the 'island mentality' that, at present, inhibits those in secondary education from an understanding of the cultural infrastructure and substratum of Bourne-TaylorAssociate professor of French, and fellow, Brasenose College, Oxford Sir, I have no doubt that AI has a part to play in making prisons safer ('AI predicts risk from violent inmates before jail attacks happen', Jul 31) but removing drugs from jails by using drug wands, sniffer boxes and DroneGuard, while disabling mobile phones and reducing overcrowding, will have a greater effect. Tasers will have an impact during riots and concerted acts of indiscipline but not on immediate acts of violence as they won't be to hand. The most effective way to reduce the risk of violence is by staff developing good relationships with prisoners. Inexperienced staff in overcrowded prisons are merely BerryRet'd prison governor, Countesthorpe, Leics Sir, Martin Samuel is right ('Rushing this Test series off stage has robbed it of the players we pay to see', Aug 1). Test matches — the pinnacle of the sport — are being wrecked by the thoughtless compression of scheduling and now we will have no cricket for a month, all to make room for a spectacle said to be crowd-pleasing and money-making, although it is curious that no other cricketing nation has shown the remotest interest in the Hundred. The ECB has done a fine job of destroying our national DykeLondon N21 Sir, I agree with David A De Saxe (letter, Aug 1) that modern bats improve batting. But surely the main reason batting has improved is the use of helmets, which enable batsmen to face fast bowling without risk of serious EvansTunbridge Wells, Kent Sir, Contrary to Raymond Gubbay's suggestion ('Albert Hall seats', letter, Jul 31), the National Lottery were on the ball. Like all seat holders, while I did gain from the lottery funding improvements I was obliged to pay a proportionate share of the GilbertMarlow, Bucks Sir, Aside from pay erosion, the incentives for resident doctors to change tack career-wise are well described (letters, Jul 28–31), but there is a new one. Why wouldn't a recently qualified doctor with a huge student debt and possibly a young family consider switching to one of the new physician assistant roles? The pay is considerably better, the post comes with job security and comprehensive senior medical supervision, and there is no need for regular exams or to move around the country every couple of years while working nights and weekends as a matter of routine. That is regardless of the intense work pressure endured by these young resident doctors daily, hundreds of whom are now finding that there are no NHS jobs for them anyway after their first two years of hospital practice (news, Jul 30). The only downside is that the NHS would soon run out of GPs and hospital RP ColeNHS consultant surgeon, Salisbury Sir, Katie Glass raises hopes for many in making a few quid from renting her home ('I'm sleeping in a caravan so I can put my cottage on Airbnb', Times2, Jul 28). Potential followers of her advice would be well advised to check with local planning requirements and their home insurance policy before proceeding. Such moves may be below the radar but not above the planning HoweRhossili, Gower Peninsula Sir, Every good wish to the new Archbishop of Wales ('Church elects gay, female archbishop', Jul 31). As well as being informed of her employment history and views on sexuality, I'm sure some of us would be glad to know whether she speaks CorkettBangor, Gwynedd Sir, My Uncle Charlie worked on the Cowes chain ferry in the 1950s and had an index and middle finger missing (letter, Aug 1). As he explained: 'I was trying to pick a stray fag packet out of the chains while we were crossing the river. I just thought I could do it, quick like.' I relayed this story to the newly promoted chain ferry master when I met him in the 1980s. 'Oh yes?', he said, holding up his three- digit right hand. 'You mean like this?'Suzie MarwoodLondon SW6 Sir, I can definitely support the theory of ditching a flashy car for a small hatchback to woo women (news, Jul 31). I owned an MG Midget in the 1960s and had no luck in attracting the right sort of woman, but on the day I swapped it for a Hillman Imp I met the woman who is now my wife. We are still happily married RussellHarpenden, Herts Write to letters@
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
France to PAUSE all evacuations of Palestinian asylum seekers from Gaza pending outcome of anti-semitism investigation
France has paused its programme to receive Palestinians fleeing conflict-torn Gaza. The suspension is pending the outcome of an investigation into how a student accused of sharing antisemitic posts was allowed into the country, the French foreign minister said on Friday. The move comes after officials said the female student from Gaza will have to leave France after the Sciences Po university in the northern city of Lille revoked her accreditation over the online posts. 'No evacuation of any kind will take place until we have drawn conclusions from this investigation,' Jean-Noel Barrot told French radio. All Gazans who have entered France through the scheme will undergo a second screening, he added. France has helped more than 500 people leave Gaza since the latest war, which was triggered by the October 7, 2023 attacks. Sciences Po Lille said that after consultations with the education ministry and regional authorities, it 'has decided to cancel this student's planned registration at our establishment'. Following the recommendation by French diplomats, the woman initially lived at the home of the university's director while she waited for permanent lodgings, Sciences Po said. A French diplomatic source said the student arrived in France on July 11 on a scholarship based on 'academic excellence' and after 'security checks'. Lille's general prosecutor said on Thursday that a judicial probe has been opened against the student for allegedly trying to "justify terrorism" and "justify a crime against humanity". Screenshots of posts the student allegedly shared in September - published by pro-Israel accounts on X - include an image of Adolf Hitler and words appearing to call for the death of Jews. The account attributed to the student has been taken offline after French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau demanded it be closed down, describing the post as 'unacceptable and concerning'. 'Hamas propagandists have no place in our country,' he wrote on X. Mr Barrot confirmed that Palestinians already in France through this scheme will be 'subject to a new check' after 'failures that brought this young woman here'. 'A Gazan student making antisemitic remarks has no place in France,' said Mr Barrot, who added that he had ordered an internal inquiry. 'The screening carried out by the relevant departments of the ministries concerned clearly did not work,' he added in a post on X. The woman had been offered a place at the Sciences Po Lille university as part of the programme run by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, the director of the university told French newspaper Libération.
