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Protests are erupting across Ukraine. After President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a new law
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critics say undermines the country's anti-corruption efforts. Demonstrators gathered in Kiev, Lviv, and Dnipro and other cities on July 22nd
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many defying curfews, accusing the government of reversing reforms tied to Ukraine's democratic
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progress. At the center of the controversy is a law that transfers oversight of the country's top
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anti-corruption agencies to the prosecutor general's office, which is led by a presidential
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appointee. Those agencies, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, were created after Ukraine's 2014 maiden uprising
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to root out corruption and align with European Union standards. In a joint statement the anti offices warned the move would make them subordinate to the president prosecutor and quote no longer function independently Zelensky defends the law as a national security measure saying it designed to eliminate Russian
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influence and restore trust in law enforcement. He acknowledged public concern and promised a
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two-week review involving law enforcement leaders. Still, backlash came swiftly. Kiev's mayor, Vitaly Klitschko, joined protesters, calling the law a step toward authoritarianism
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and warning it could hurt Ukraine's path to EU membership. International leaders responded with cautious but critical statements
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Leaders in Europe and the U.S. are raising concerns about judicial independence and Western support
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especially as Ukraine continues to rely on international aid. Despite the protests, the law passed with backing from Zelensky's Servant of the People Party and others in Parliament
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