07/24/2025
On Thursday, July 24, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a conversation with German Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz. In particular, they discussed the law on NABU, agreements with the EU, and the production of drones.
The Ukrainian leader emphasized that the partners are ready to help and continue their support. Volodymyr Zelensky published a summary of the conversation on Telegram.
“I informed that I have already approved the text of the draft law, which guarantees the independence and effectiveness of anti-corruption institutions in Ukraine. It is important that the anti-corruption bodies supported this draft law. We all agreed that there should be no interference or influence from Russia on the work of our anti-corruption infrastructure. I suggested that Germany join the examination of the draft law. Friedrich assured of his readiness to help,” the President of Ukraine wrote.
The politicians also discussed the implementation of agreements with the EU and work on opening the first negotiation cluster.
“There is absolute support from Germany on this issue. Thank you,” the president added.
In addition, Volodymyr Zelenskyy told Friedrich Merz about the situation on the front and the need for additional funding for the production of drones.
“We will work to increase their number, especially interceptor drones. Thank you, Friedrich. Thank you, Germany, for supporting Ukraine and our people,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy summed up the conversation.
What preceded
On July 22, deputies of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine supported draft law No. 12414 on amendments to the Criminal Code, which limit the powers of the NABU and the SAPO and transfer them to the Prosecutor General. 263 people’s deputies voted “for”. Only 13 people’s deputies spoke against. On the same day, Parliament Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk signed the document and submitted it to President Volodymyr Zelensky for signature.
In a number of Ukrainian cities – Kyiv, Lviv, Dnipro, Odessa, Ternopil, Lutsk, Poltava, Ivano-Frankivsk – people took to peaceful rallies, speaking out against the bill No. 12414 voted by the deputies of the Verkhovna Rada. The protesters called on the president to veto the law, but on the evening of July 22, Zelensky nevertheless signed the bill.
The next day, Zelensky met with the heads of all law enforcement agencies and law enforcement agencies of Ukraine to discuss urgent and problematic issues, and the NABU and SAPO issued a joint statement. The agencies emphasized that the legislative changes adopted the day before significantly limit the independence of the NABU and SAPO, subordinating them to the Prosecutor General. Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko himself stated that the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office remained independent , and he does not plan to abuse the new powers he received after the adoption of the amendments to the legislation.
On the evening of July 23, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy nevertheless announced that he would submit to the Verkhovna Rada a new bill that would restore the powers of the NABU and the SAPO. This decision was made after many meetings with government officials and law enforcement representatives.
In parallel with the president’s initiative, 48 people’s deputies submitted to the Rada a new draft law No. 13531 on the abolition of all provisions that provided for the liquidation of the NABU and the SAPO. The parliamentarians argue that this draft law will restore the institutional independence of the bodies that conduct pre-trial investigation and procedural management in cases of corruption offenses.
As OBOZ.UA reported, Ukraine’s international partners were also dissatisfied with the government’s actions regarding anti-corruption agencies. The European Parliament stated that this does not bring our country closer to joining the EU and jeopardizes the provision of financial assistance to Ukraine.
EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos personally called Deputy Prime Minister Taras Kaczka, warning of the consequences of such actions. After all, the law on limiting the powers of the NABU and the SAPO was a critical blow to the process of Ukraine’s accession to the European Union. Brussels had a plan to bypass Hungary’s veto and was one step away from opening the first negotiation cluster with Kyiv, but now the decision has been postponed.
The US Senate expressed concerns that the law on limiting the independence of the NABU and SAPO undermines Ukraine’s progress in its anti-corruption program. The Ukrainian government was called upon to refrain from any such actions. The senators emphasized that Ukraine has achieved “tremendous successes in its anti-corruption program since the Revolution of Dignity.”