War in Ukraine: Macron and Zelensky reaffirm “the importance of the fight against corruption”

This week, Volodymyr Zelensky caused an uproar with a law that effectively eliminated the independence of two anti-corruption bodies by placing them under the direct authority of the prosecutor general, who is subordinate to the Ukrainian executive. Zelensky quickly signed the bill into law after it was passed by parliament on Tuesday, before backtracking two days later.

"We shared the conviction that what also distinguishes Ukraine from Russia today is that it remains, despite the war, a vibrant democracy - and that it intends to continue to progress on its European path. In this context, we reaffirmed the importance of the fight against corruption, carried out by independent and fully effective institutions," Emmanuel Macron declared Sunday on X.

European Way

"I reiterated France's support: we will continue to increase aid to Ukraine and increase pressure on Russia. Russia must finally agree to a ceasefire that opens the way to discussions for a solid and lasting peace, with the participation of Europeans," he also wrote.

For her part, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen - who had demanded "explanations" from Volodymyr Zelensky after his promulgation of the contested law - said on Sunday on X that Ukraine must "preserve independent anti-corruption bodies, which are cornerstones of the rule of law."

Kyiv "can count on our support to move forward on its European path," she added. According to Ukrainian civil society groups, the text passed by Parliament comes amid growing government pressure on anti-corruption actors in a country heavily affected by this scourge.