Zelensky on the Ropes: NABU and SAPO Law Backfires
Volodymyr Zelensky speaks on the phone during a meeting at the European Political Community summit in Skanderbeg Square in Tirana, Albania, on Friday, May 16, 2025.
Volodymyr Zelensky has U-turned his anti-corruption agencies law, but will it save his presidency? It looks like his credibility is running out.Western Dominance Zelensky caving and vowing to restore independence to the two “Western-created agencies” reveals just “how much Ukraine is dominated by the West,” Daniel Kovalik, former University of Pittsburgh law professor, tells Sputnik. “It’s not an independent actor. It really is a proxy of the West and what they say goes,” he says.”Both NABU and SAPO are elements of external control over Ukraine, or tools of colonization,” echoes Bogdan Bezpalko, head of “Ukrainians of Russia.”
Western Blackmail
After a new law stripped NABU and SAPO of independence, the West reacted sharply. On July 25, the EU signaled it may freeze $1.7b in aid to Ukraine over corruption concerns. 
WorldIMF, FBI & USAID: Why is Senator Graham So Unnerved About Zelensky’s NABU and SAPO Law?24 July, 18:18 GMT
Public is Weary of Corruption
Youth-led protests immediately erupted against Zelensky’s NABU-SAPO law across Ukraine on July 22. But they weren’t strong enough, says Bezpalko, hinting it could get much worse for the Kiev regime. He argues the Kiev regime had some room to maneuver but chose instead to obey. Why?
Zelensky is Cornered
Zelensky quickly vowed to grant NABU and SAPO independence on July 24, while the Rada said it would review the bill July 31. That hasty response shows Zelensky was trying to mend the damage. But insiders say NABU defendants have already testified against him, as the US allegedly approved a power shake-up. Ukrainian activists plan fresh rallies on July 30 and 31.
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