Critics of the new legislation say it constitutes a power grab by Zelenskyy and his presidential office -- which is headed by influential chief of staff Andriy Yermak -- that undermines Ukrainian democracy and threatens the country's EU ambitions.

French President Emmanuel Macron and European Council President António Costa tried to dissuade Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy from signing the controversial draft law No. 12414. They called Zelenskyy shortly before he signed it,

The move to curb anti-corruption agencies sparked protests, and by Wednesday evening, Zelenskyy had announced a new bill that would preserve the agencies' independence.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that the text of draft bill No. 13533 was discussed with partners and that he instructed government officials to present it to all of Ukraine's partners. Following a wave of protests over the law that limits the independence of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO),