Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky finds himself at a political crossroads after a contentious attempt to centralize control over Ukraine’s key anti-corruption institutions sparked widespread backlash at home and drew a stern rebuke from the European Union. At the heart of the matter lies a tension between wartime exigency and democratic integrity-one that Kyiv can ill afford to mishandle as it strives for EU membership and postwar reconstruction.

On July 24, Zelensky abruptly reversed course on a legislative proposal that would have significantly weakened the independence of National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO). The move followed rare mass protests across major Ukrainian cities and the European Commission’s decision to withhold nearly €1.5 billion in aid, sending a clear signal that the West’s patience has limits, even for a wartime ally.

The funding cut came under the European Union’s €50 billion Ukraine Facility, which spans through 2027 and is designed to support Ukraine’s war effort, reconstruction, and its long-term goal of European Union accession. While Kyiv had requested €4.5 billion from the latest tranche, only €3.05 billion was approved. The European Commission cited Ukraine’s failure to meet several reform benchmarks, including judicial reforms, decentralization, and the restructuring of the Asset Recovery and Management Agency (ARMA).

But the breaking point appeared to be Zelensky’s legislative proposal to assert executive control over NABU and SAPO, both of which are currently investigating figures in his inner circle-including members of the powerful Presidential Office headed by Andriy Yermak. The EU, civil society groups, and international watchdogs saw the move as a clear threat to institutional independence and a betrayal of Ukraine’s post-Maidan anti-corruption........

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