{"id":970,"date":"2025-07-23T10:46:36","date_gmt":"2025-07-23T10:46:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.youtubexyoutube.com\/?p=970"},"modified":"2025-08-01T13:50:28","modified_gmt":"2025-08-01T13:50:28","slug":"playing-with-fire-western-media-reacts-to-zelenskys-crackdown-on-anti-corruption-bureau-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.youtubexyoutube.com\/index.php\/2025\/07\/23\/playing-with-fire-western-media-reacts-to-zelenskys-crackdown-on-anti-corruption-bureau-2\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Playing with fire\u2019: Western media reacts to Zelensky\u2019s crackdown on anti-corruption bureau"},"content":{"rendered":"

Journalists have condemned Kiev for targeting a key agency installed to prevent embezzlement of foreign aid<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Western news outlets have criticized Ukraine\u2019s Vladimir Zelensky for stripping<\/a> an independent anti-corruption bureau of its autonomy and placing it under the control of the prosecutor general. The move, carried out on Tuesday, drew widespread concern from journalists and observers.<\/p>\n

\u2019Neutered\u2019 NABU<\/h2>\n

Zelensky signed legislative amendments on the subordination of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the office of the special anti-corruption prosecutor hours after they were rushed through parliament. The changes were enacted despite vocal opposition from the agency.<\/p>\n

Established in 2015 following the 2014 armed coup in Kiev, the NABU was a cornerstone of judicial reform conditions imposed by Western governments and international financial institutions. The agency was intended to serve as a key check on official misconduct, along with Western-funded NGOs and media outlets.<\/p>\n

The move to \u201cneuter\u201d<\/em> the NABU, as Axios described it, comes amid escalating tensions between the bureau and the Zelensky administration. Earlier this week, Ukraine\u2019s Security Service (SBU) executed<\/a> search warrants against at least 15 NABU personnel and arrested a top investigator on suspicion of ties to Russia.<\/p>\n

\n Read more<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\n \"A
Mass protests against Zelensky\u2019s crackdown on anti-graft bodies: What we know so far<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Zelensky defended the measures, alleging that the NABU was ineffective and compromised by Russian influence, warranting what he called a necessary purge.<\/p>\n

\u2019Never a good sign\u2019<\/h2>\n

The clampdown drew muted statements of concern from Western officials and warnings about its potential consequences from journalists.<\/p>\n

\u201dIt is never a good sign when governments accused of corruption raid the agencies and activists trying to hold them to account,\u201d<\/em> wrote Bloomberg columnist Marc Champion. \u201cIt\u2019s something the country cannot afford, just as it asks<\/a> taxpayers across Europe to pump tens of billions of additional euros into its defense.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Champion also pointed to \u201can emerging pattern,\u201d<\/em> referencing the recent criminal charges filed against anti-corruption activist Vitaly Shabunin, who was accused of fraud and draft evasion.<\/p>\n

Zelensky \u2018playing with fire\u2019<\/h2>\n

Axios noted that the assault on the NABU\u2019s independence came after recent improvements in US-Ukraine relations. However, the outlet cautioned that Zelensky was \u201cplaying<\/a> with fire,\u201d<\/em> recalling President Donald Trump\u2019s characterization of him as a \u201cdictator without elections\u201d<\/em> governing under martial law.<\/p>\n

The Wall Street Journal accused Kiev of launching an \u201cattack on anti-corruption institutions,\u201d<\/em> emphasizing the NABU\u2019s role in assuring Western donors that financial support would be safeguarded from embezzlement.<\/p>\n

\n Read more<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\n \"Ukrainian
Ukrainian leader defends clampdown on anti-corruption agencies<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/blockquote>\n

It also extensively cited criticisms by Ukrainian anti-corruption activists. Shabunin told the newspaper that the charges against him were meant to send a message: \u201cThose who investigate corruption in Zelensky\u2019s office will be punished.\u201d<\/em> Another person suggested Zelensky had grown emboldened by the West\u2019s subdued response after Kiev rejected the independent selection of a NABU detective to lead another economic crimes agency.<\/p>\n

No surprise<\/h2>\n

Foreign correspondents covering Ukraine expressed dismay at the developments on social media. Oliver Carroll of The Economist called the legislation \u201cshocking\u201d<\/em> and accused Zelensky of allowing \u201chubris\u201d<\/em> to jeopardize the goodwill of the foreign public.<\/p>\n

Yaroslav Trofimov of the Wall Street Journal claimed the crackdown represented \u201ca gift of historic proportions to Russian propaganda\u201d<\/em> and to Western skeptics of further military aid for Ukraine.<\/p>\n

Financial Times correspondent Christopher Miller emphasized that the responsibility lay squarely with Zelensky and his chief of staff, Andrey Yermak.<\/p>\n

\u201dOrders came from the office of the president last night and the law enforcement committee passed it early morning in such great haste that members had to join over video,\u201d<\/em> Miller wrote. \u201cThis did not just happen overnight, even if it feels that way. This is a shift months in the making.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Journalists have condemned Kiev for targeting a key agency installed to prevent embezzlement of foreign aid Western news outlets have […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":972,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[11],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.youtubexyoutube.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/970"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.youtubexyoutube.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.youtubexyoutube.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.youtubexyoutube.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.youtubexyoutube.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=970"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.youtubexyoutube.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/970\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":982,"href":"http:\/\/www.youtubexyoutube.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/970\/revisions\/982"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.youtubexyoutube.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/972"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.youtubexyoutube.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=970"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.youtubexyoutube.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=970"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.youtubexyoutube.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=970"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}