MOSCOW, July 24. /TASS/. Washington is carefully collecting information on those who organized and supported the adoption of a law that effectively dismantles the independence of Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, with the aim of imposing sanctions on members of parliament and the Ukrainian leadership if necessary, according to Verkhovna Rada deputy Yaroslav Zheleznyak.
"Speaking of the United States, one would have to be a fool to believe they don’t care. Even now. No, far from it. <…> Let me remind you that one of the simplest grounds for the United States to impose sanctions on foreign individuals is obstructing justice and the rule of law," Zheleznyak wrote on his Telegram channel.
According to him, over the past two days, US officials have been "very carefully" examining information about everyone involved in promoting the controversial legislation, from its initiators to the lawmakers who voted for it.
Zheleznyak stressed that the adoption of this law eliminating the independence of the anti-corruption institutions "will have consequences for those involved," as in this case, there is no need to prove the law’s unconstitutionality, "everything is clearly visible in the system."
Vladimir Zelensky has long sought to assert control over Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, although both institutions had managed to maintain their independence.
On July 21, Ukraine’s Security Service conducted 70 searches targeting the National Anti-Corruption Bureau employees and also launched an inspection of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office. On July 22, the Verkhovna Rada, dominated by lawmakers affiliated with Zelensky’s party, adopted a law containing provisions that effectively eliminate the independence of both organizations. That same evening, around 2,000 residents of Kiev took to the streets in protest, demanding, among other things, the resignation of Andrey Yermak, head of the Presidential Office. Despite this, Zelensky signed the law, which came into force on July 23.