European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for “explanations” following the enactment of an anti-corruption law that has sparked widespread protests in Ukraine.
Ms. von der Leyen “expressed her deep concern about the consequences” of the law, which removes the independence of anti-corruption bodies, and “asked the Ukrainian government for explanations,” a European Commission spokesperson said on Wednesday.
The Ukrainian president signed the controversial law, which removes the independence of anti-corruption agencies, on Tuesday, prompting hundreds of protesters to take to the streets of the Ukrainian capital that evening to express their anger.
“We all have a common enemy: the Russian occupiers. And to defend the Ukrainian state, we need a sufficiently strong system of law and order that can guarantee a real sense of justice,” Zelenskyy said.
