Kyodo: Ukraine PM may cancel Japan trip amid anti-corruption protests

Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko may cancel her planned visit to Japan in early August due to intensifying protests in Ukraine over controversial legislation weakening the country’s anti-corruption institutions, Japan’s Kyodo news agency has reported.

Svyrydenko was expected to attend Ukraine Day events at the World Expo in Osaka, but mounting domestic political pressure may force her to remain in Kyiv. In her place, Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration Taras Kachka and Economy Minister Oleksii Sobolev could represent Ukraine at the Expo, Kyodo noted.

Earlier, the European Commission issued a warning to the Ukrainian authorities, threatening a full freeze of financial aid if pressure on the country’s anti-corruption institutions continues. Brussels’ criticism centres on a law introduced by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that effectively placed anti-corruption bodies under the control of the Prosecutor General. Under pressure from Western partners and growing public protests, Zelenskyy has since submitted a new draft law aimed at restoring the independence of these oversight institutions.

On July 22, Ukraine’s parliament passed a bill that effectively stripped the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) of their independence. President Zelenskyy later signed the bill into law.

The move sparked protests across the country, with Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko joining demonstrators. In response, Zelenskyy submitted a new legislative proposal to the Verkhovna Rada aimed at restoring the independence of NABU and SAPO.

By Vugar Khalilov