The stunning turnaround took less than 72 hours: On July 22, President Volodymyr Zelenskyysigned a billthat protesters across Ukraine and crucial backers of Kyiv in the West said stripped two key anti-corruption agencies of their autonomy, threatening to reverse years of progress on justice and the rule of law.
On July 24, Zelenskyy submitted new legislation that he said would guarantee the independence of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO).
The agenciespraised the new billand urged parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, to pass it as soon as possible, whileprotesters saidthey would keep up the pressure until they are certain the threat has dissipated. A vote could come late next week.
Heres what the climbdown could mean for Ukraine, its people, and its president.
A Sign of Strength
The reason the initial bill sparked such a swift and angry reaction is that NABU and SAPO were seen as both symbols and actual, operating examples of democratic progress in Ukraine since independence in 1991 and, in particular, since the Maidan protests pushed a Moscow-friendly president whose rule was marred by corruption from power in 2014.
