Ukraine rocked by protests as a result of its weakening of anti-corruption agencies

Ukraine has been struggling with protests nationwide as a result of the weakening of its anti-corruption agencies. A vote by the Ukrainian Rada, its parliament, forces the two anti-corruption agencies (NABU and SAPO) to come under the supervision of the prosecutor general, something that watchdogs criticize as Ukraine backsliding.

While Zelensky has justified this action by claiming that this measure is a means of expelling "Russian influence" from the agencies, large swaths of the population disagree with his actions. Protests sprouted up in major cities such as Kyiv, Odesa, Lviv, and Dnipro. To many Ukrainians, Zelensky is undoing years of work towards democracy. At a time when Ukraine is dealing with a brutal war against Russia, this protest could have profound implications for Zelensky's support in the country.

This goes further than Ukraine, however. If left unchecked, this could damage their chances of joining NATO and, in particular, the European Union.