Protesters challenge a law curbing Ukraine’s anti-corruption institutions, Kyiv, July 23, 2025 (Efrem Lukatsky/AP)

EA on France 24: Assessing the Latest Ukraine-Russia Talks

Tuesday’s Coverage: Zelensky Defends Bill on Anti-Corruption Agencies

Map: Institute for the Study of War

UPDATE 1605 GMT:

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has again called on China to use its influence with Vladimir Putin to push for an end to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

We in the European Union don’t even have to use our influence, because President Zelensky has already offered and is at the negotiation table and offered to sit down and negotiate seriously with Russia….

I fully acknowledge that two sovereign countries decide on what they want to discuss and how they want to discuss, and what the outcome in the very end is, but it is important that we have a ceasefire and that the negotiations at the table take place.

She also reiterated demands, amid revelations of China providing engines for Moscow’s attack drones (see 0645 GMT), that Chinese companies stop selling dual-use domestic and industry technologies to Russia that can be repurposed for weapons.

UPDATE 1528 GMT:

After his pledge to revise legislation over Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies, President Volodymyr Zelensky has spoken with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Zelensky highlighted the revision in his summary of the talk with Merz:

I have already approved the draft bill guaranteeing the independence and effectiveness of anti-corruption institutions in Ukraine. It’s important that our anti-corruption bodies supported this bill. We all agreed that there must be no interference or influence from Russia on the functioning of our anti-corruption infrastructure. I invited Germany to join the expert review of the bill. Friedrich assured me of readiness to assist.

The President said Merz assured him of “absolute support” from Germany for Ukraine’s candidacy for EU membership. The men also discussed the situation on the frontline and the need to increase the production of drones.

Starmer’s office said, “The leaders agreed on the importance of the role of independent anti-corruption institutions at the heart of Ukraine’s democracy….They agreed international partners must continue to ramp up the pressure on Russia”.

Putin must come to the negotiation table and agree an unconditional ceasefire to see a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.

UPDATE 1220 GMT:

The toll has risen to 41 injured from Russia’s attacks on Ukraine’s second city Kharkiv on Thursday morning.

Among the victims of the attack are a 10-year-old girl and two teenagers aged 17.

Two Russian glide bombs struck the Shevchenkivskyi district at around 11:30 a.m., targeting a high-rise residential building and civilian enterprise.

Some people remain trapped beneath the rubble of the multi-story building.

UPDATE 1209 GMT:

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced:

Zelensky pledged to submit the new bill to Parliament today, even though the Verkhovna Rada adjourned for a four-week summer recess on Wednesday.

The European Commission responded:

Indeed, we understand that the Ukrainian authorities have taken a new approach, [to] propose a new action plan or law.

We welcome the fact that the Ukrainian government is taking action, and we work with them to make sure that our concerns, which have been clearly explained yesterday and day before yesterday, are indeed taken into account.

UPDATE 0958 GMT:

A cross-party group of 48 lawmakers has submitted a bill to the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s Parliament, to restore the independence of anti-corruption agencies.

Yaroslav Yurchyshyn, head of the Parliamentary committee on freedom of speech, said that despite the Verkhovna Rada adjourning on Wednesday for four weeks, “Tomorrow [the bill] can be voted on. Your move, Mr. President.”

UPDATE 0954 GMT:

An Indian company shipped $1.4 million worth of an explosive compound with military uses to Russia in December, according to Indian customs data.

One of the Russian companies receiving the compound, known as HMX or octogen, is the explosives manufacturer Promsintez. An official at Ukraine’s State security service SBU said the firm has ties to Russia’s military.

HMX is widely used in missile and torpedo warheads, rocket motors, exploding projectiles and plastic-bonded explosives for advanced military systems. The US government has identified the compound as “critical for Russia’s war effort” and has warned financial institutions against facilitating any sales of the substance to Moscow.

UPDATE 0846 GMT:

US Senators Lindsey Graham and Jeanne Shaheen have expressed concern about Ukraine’s legislation curbing the autonomy of anti-corruption agencies.

Graham, a Republican and ally of Donald Trump, and Shaheen, a Democrat, wrote in a joint statement:

Since the Revolution of Dignity, Ukraine has made tremendous progress in advancing an anti-corruption agenda. That this progress has occurred even as Ukraine defends itself against Russian aggression is a testament to the extraordinary resolve of the Ukrainian people.

We are concerned that the recent passage of legislation by the Verkhovna Rada, signed into law by President Zelensky, undermines much of this progress and contradicts the fighting spirit of Ukraine, as well as the expectations of the Ukrainian people and the international community.

UPDATE 0820 GMT:

At least four civilians have been killed and at least 28 injured by Russian attacks across Ukraine.

In the Kharkiv region in the northeast, three people were murdered and five wounded.

One person was slain and six wounded, including two children, in attacks on 39 settlements in the Kherson region in the south.

Casualties were reported from the Cherkasy, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Odesa regions.

Drone strikes on Odesa city damaged UNESCO-protected landmarks and ignited a fire at Privoz, the largest food market, in the historic center.

UPDATE 0645 GMT:

Documents, supported by three European security officials, establish that Chinese-made engines for attack drones are being covertly shipped to Russian manufacturer IEMZ Kupol.

The engines are labelled as “industrial refrigeration units” to avoid detection and sanctions.

IMEZ Kupol makes the Garpiya-A1 attack drone, partly modelled on the Iran-supplied Shahed which has been central in Russia’s mass strikes across Ukraine. The Garpiya-A1 has been used against civilian targets, with around 500 launched per month.

On Thursday, European Council President António Costa urged China to help end Moscow’s invasion.

As European Union leaders met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, Costa said, “As a permanent member of United Nations security council, we call on China to use its influence on Russia to respect the United Nations charter and to bring an end…[to the] war of aggression against Ukraine.”

UPDATE 0603 GMT:

The US has approved the $322 million sale to Ukraine of Bradley infantry fighting vehicles and Hawk surface-to-air missile systems.

The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency said the Hawks will bolster air defenses while the Bradleys will help meet Ukraine’s “urgent need to strengthen local sustainment capabilities to maintain high operational rates for United States-provided vehicles and weapon systems”.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: Facing protests and European criticism, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has promised a revision of legislation curbing the autonomy of anti-corruption agencies.

On Tuesday evening, Zelensky signed the measure putting the Prosecutor General in control of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO).

Analysts noted the changes could neuter anti-corruption cases. The Prosecutor General can issue directions for NABU’s investigations, reassign them outside the agency, or close them at the request of defense attorneys. SAPO’s powers can be given to other prosecutors.

Thousands gathered in Ukrainian cities on Wednesday for a second night of protests. The European Union warned that the legislation could threaten Ukraine’s attempt at accession.

Critics said Parliament and Zelensky were trying to protect officials, including in the President’s office, under investigation for corruption. An EA correspondent in Kyiv assessed, “Zelensky’s career is basically over now. It pains me very much that we have to endure this humiliation.”

The President responded in his nightly address to the nation:

Everyone has heard what people are saying these days – on social media, to each other, on the streets. It’s not falling on deaf ears. We analyzed all concerns, all aspects of what needs to be changed and what needs to be stepped up.

I will propose a bill to the Verkhovna Rada [Parliament] of Ukraine that will be the response. It will ensure the strength of the rule of law system, and there will be no Russian influence or interference in the activities of law enforcement. And very importantly – all the norms for the independence of anti-corruption institutions will be in place.

Protesters were sceptical that Zelensky will remove the clauses in the bill limiting the agencies. They noted that the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s Parliament, adjourned on Wednesday for a four-week summer recess.

Olha Ivanova, an anti-corruption specialist, said the government is calculating that the protests would fizzle out. “Civil society is huge in Ukraine. From time to time we have to remind the people in power that we elect them,” she said.

Ivanova, holding a placard that read “Have you lost your mind?”, hoped Zelenskyy will reverse his decision: “He’s not a dictator. Nobody would say this. He’s a president in a very difficult political context during a war.”

European Concerns

Before Zelensky’s nightly address, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen raised “strong concerns” and asked Zelensky to explain the legislation.

Spokesperson Guillaume Mercier said, “The respect for the rule of law and the fight against corruption are core elements of the European Union. As a candidate country, Ukraine is expected to uphold these standards fully. There cannot be a compromise.”

EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius added that trust during wartime is “easy to lose with one significant mistake by the leadership … Transparency and open European dialogue is the only way to repair [it].”

The EU’s Ambassador to Ukraine, Katarina Mathernova, met with Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko and Deputy Prime Minister Taras Kachka. She emphasized, “Effectiveness of these institutions is an important part of Ukraine’s path to the [EU].”

Germany, Sweden, and Czechia also made appeals. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadepuhl, meeting the heads of the anti-corruption agencies, said, “Limiting the independence of Ukraine’s anti-corruption agency hampers Ukraine’s way towards the EU. I expect Ukraine to continue with determination its efforts in combating corruption.”

France’s Europe Minister Benjamin Haddad said, “It is not too late to go back on this. We will be extremely vigilant on the subject.”

Zelensky Announces POW Exchange

As Ukraine and Russia gathered in Istanbul for their third set of talks over an end to Moscow’s invasion, Zelensky announced another exchange of prisoners of war.

Seriously ill and severely wounded defenders are returning home. We can now share the details — across all stages of the recent Istanbul agreements, we have managed to bring back more than 1,000 of our people. For a thousand families, this represents a profound opportunity to embrace their loved ones once more.

Rustem Umerov, the head of Ukraine’s delegation in Istanbul, said the exchange involved more than 1,200 people.

Some of the freed Ukrainian troops, aged 27 to 66, had served in the defense of Mariupol, the port city overrun by Russia in spring 2022 after 12 weeks of bombing, ground assault, and siege.

The group also included the last defender of Zmiinyi (Snake) Island, occupied by Russia in its first days of its invasion but later liberated by Ukrainian forces.

Beyond the exchange, there were no significant developments from the talks, as Russia rejected a ceasefire and maintained ultimata, including Ukraine’s loss of territory as a weak, “neutral”, and demilitarized state.

The head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, proposed three working groups to meet online over political, military, and humanitarian issues. He rejected Zelensky’s call for a face-to-face meeting with Vladimir Putin, saying the topics for discussion must be established first.

The Russian delegation also suggested ceasefires of 24 to 48 hours to retrieve the wounded and the bodies of fallen soldiers, and offered to hand over the remains of 3,000 Ukrainian soldiers via the Red Cross “once Kyiv is ready”.

Responding to Ukraine’s call for the return of deported children from Russia, Medinsky insisted that the juveniles are “under state supervision, well provided for, and safe in appropriate childcare institutions”.

Zelensky’s Chief of Staff, Andrii Yermak summarized, “It is clear that Russia is still not ready to end the war — but there is still time to reconsider and put an end to this madness.”