Attack on anti-corruption bodies: European enlargement commissioner says Ukraine has not regained EU's trust

European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos has given a negative answer when asked whether it is possible to say that the EU's trust in Ukraine has been restored following the repeal of controversial laws targeting its anti-corruption agencies.

Recalling the events of July 2025, Kos said she "could not understand why Ukraine was doing this", given that stripping the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) of their independence would have meant closing off the path to EU membership.

Asked whether trust between the EU and Ukraine could be considered restored after the repeal of the controversial legislation, Kos replied: "No, not at all. This will stay forever."

"You can change the laws as many times as you want, but you never can, over one night, bring the trust back … Once the trust is not there anymore on the full scale, then whatever your partner is doing, you put even a little question mark: Is this okay? Why are they doing this?" Marta Kos said in an interview with European Pravda.

However, Kos added that Ukrainian society is helping her to rebuild that trust.

"Because I know that civil society is really playing an important role in Ukraine. And, for instance, I know now there is a survey that 72% of Ukrainians are supportive of the EU membership, and when they have been asked what the benefits would be, the answer about fighting corruption is very high, as well as the prosperity perspectives," Kos noted.

She added that she would like to see this kind of society in every candidate country.

Katarína Mathernová, the EU Ambassador to Ukraine, said in an interview with European Pravda that she would not describe the situation around the NABU and SAPO laws as a "catastrophe", but acknowledged that Ukraine needs to continue working to rebuild trust.

In July, the Ukrainian Parliament adopted the controversial draft law No. 12414, which made NABU and SAPO dependent on the Prosecutor General. Later, under significant Western pressure, a law aimed at remedying the situation was passed.