Mr Zelensky said it was needed to speed up investigations, ensure more convictions and remove ‘Russian influence’ from the fight against corruption.

President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the decision to submit a new draft law on NABU (National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine) and SAPO (Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office) to the Verkhovna Rada was driven by the need to preserve national unity during wartime.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the bill will curtail Russian influence in the country, but the bill could imperil its ascent to the European Union.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has submitted a new bill to the Verkhovna Rada aimed at restoring the independence of the country’s anti-corruption agencies.

President Zelensky has submitted a new bill to protect Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies after protests and Western backlash.

The president has defended the move as a necessary step to rid the two agencies of “Russian influence” and to address why some cases have been stalled for years.

The bill intended to restore the independence of Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies includes a provision requiring polygraph tests every two years for employees with relatives in Russia, President Volodymyr Zelensky said at a meeting with journalists on July 24,

Zelensky has submitted draft legislation to restore the independence of Ukraine's anti-corruption agencies, reversing course after an outburst of public criticism.

Ukraine’s president ran on a promise to clean things up, but critics say his government is cracking down on anti-corruption activists, critics and agencies.