German foreign minister says limiting independence of anti-corruption bodies will complicate Ukraine's path to EU

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has said that Kyiv must demonstrate consistency in its fight against corruption, and that restricting the independence of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NAB) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) complicates Ukraine's European integration path.

Wadephul warned that Ukraine must properly fight corruption as it seeks membership in the European Union.

"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," the German minister said on X.

That is why Wadephul met with the heads of NABU and SAPO during his recent visit to Kyiv. 

As Bild notes, the minister spoke on the phone with his Ukrainian counterpart, Andrii Sybiha, on Wednesday morning and urged him to keep up the consistency of Ukraine’s fight against corruption in the country.

The Dutch foreign minister said that the independence of anti-corruption bodies is a key condition for Ukraine's movement towards the EU, while the Swedish Foreign Ministry noted that the new law "raises serious concerns about the independence of Ukraine's anti-corruption institutions".