Von der Leyen demands answers from Zelenskyy as new law threatens EU bid

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has put his country’s EU ambitions in jeopardy, top European politicians warned on Wednesday.

Zelenskyy signed a controversial bill into law Tuesday that critics say nixes the independence of Ukraine’s anti-corruption watchdogs, sparking protests around the country for the first time since Russian tanks rolled over the border in February 2022.

Top EU leadership has now urged Zelenskyy to prove he is still committed to European democratic values after signing the inflammatory law, which European allies said threatens to fatally undermine Ukraine’s ongoing bid to join the bloc.

“The president of the European Commission was in contact with President Zelenskyy about these latest developments,” Guillaume Mercier, European Commission spokesperson, told POLITICO. “President von der Leyen conveyed her strong concerns about the consequences of the amendments, and she requested the Ukrainian government for explanations.

“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,” Mercier added.

European Council President António Costa also expressed his concern to Zelenskyy and asked for explanations, an EU official told POLITICO, after being granted anonymity to describe a private call. 

‘Serious questions’

In Brussels, EU officials have been actively attempting to push Ukraine forward in its accession bid despite Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s vigorous opposition. Now, Ukraine’s progress risks stalling further, as even its close allies remind Kyiv that rule-of-law and anti-corruption reforms are essential prerequisites to EU membership that cannot be compromised. 

In an explicit warning, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul wrote on X on Wednesday that “limiting the independence of anti-corruption agencies hampers Ukraine’s way towards the EU.”

Zelenskyy’s law placed Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP) under the authority of the prosecutor general, which, agencies said, effectively destroys their independence.

Though the Commission spokesperson said Tuesday afternoon that suspending financial aid to Ukraine was not considered, some officials in Brussels and capitals on Wednesday reminded that it too is contingent on Ukraine’s rule-of-law reforms. 

“Ukraine belongs in Europe and our support goes to its people. But our support has never been and will never be a blank cheque for any actions of the government,” Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský wrote on X, adding that he had delivered that message to Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.

Economy Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis told the Financial Times on Wednesday that financial assistance to Ukraine is “conditional on transparency, judicial reforms [and] democratic governments.”

EU officials have been actively attempting to push Ukraine forward in its accession bid despite Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s vigorous opposition. | Olivier Matthys/EPA

Sweden is one of the most outspoken and committed backers of Ukraine’s EU membership bid. But even Stockholm expressed alarm about the reform.

Swedish minister of foreign affairs, Maria Malmer Stenergard, told POLITICO: “The newly adopted law placing the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office under the control of the Prosecutor General’s Office raises serious questions about the independence of Ukraine’s anti-corruption authorities.”

Democratic backsliding

For months, Ukrainian activists and the opposition have sounded the alarm about democratic backsliding in Ukraine — from the government’s refusal to appoint an independently selected chief of the Economic Crimes Bureau to the prosecution of anti-corruption activist Vitalii Shabunin. 

European officials, however, chose not to publicly respond to these incidents, which, Shabunin said, further emboldened Zelenskyy. 

Opposition MPs announced they will plead with the EU and other Western institutions to pressure Kyiv to reverse course.

Many in Ukraine see Western partners as a last lever over Kyiv’s government in the absence of elections during wartime — and following the parliament’s vote Tuesday and Zelenskyy’s signature that evening an informal veto on criticizing Ukraine broke down. 

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) sent a letter Tuesday to the Ukrainian president’s office warning that the move would undermine Ukraine’s reputation and potential defense and reconstruction investments.

However, despite mounting criticism at home and abroad, Zelenskyy did not appear to back down on Wednesday morning, instead insisting that NABU and SAP will continue their work despite the new legislation.