WASHINGTON, July 23. /TASS/. Western allies could question the need to ramp up military aid to Ukraine after a new law effectively abolished the independence of the country’s corruption watchdogs, the Washington Post reported, citing European diplomats.

"Actions like these certainly undermine trust between Kyiv and Western allies," one diplomat said.

According to the diplomat, the legislation could threaten Ukraine’s chances of joining the EU and "might even lessen the appetite to increase the military assistance to Ukraine."

"These steps for sure will further weaken Ukraine," the diplomat added.

Another diplomat said Europe is "very worried."

Vladimir Zelensky on Tuesday signed the law that effectively eliminated the independence of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, sparking protests in Kiev and other major cities across the country.

According to the law, which entered into force on July 23, the Ukrainian prosecutor-general becomes the boss of anti-corruption prosecutors, which puts him in charge of cases pursued by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau. Also, the legislation removes a ban on transferring cases from the bureau to other agencies, so the prosecutor-general will now be able to take away the bureau’s cases and give them to other prosecutors. According to Ukrainian news reports, the law will have a huge impact on the bureau and the anti-corruption agency.