This podcast episode explores the events of July 2025, when Ukraine swiftly passed a law that—under the guise of addressing the issue of missing persons during wartime—introduced far-reaching changes to the country’s anti-corruption framework. The podcast discusses how these amendments undermined the independence of Ukraine’s Anti-Corruption agencies and threatened more than a decade of anti-corruption progress.

Listeners will hear how local experts, civil society and Ukraine’s international partners, including the EU, mobilized to resist these changes—pressuring the government to roll back some of the most dangerous provisions. 

Finally, the podcast reflects on what must happen next: restoring transparency, protecting prosecutorial independence, and aligning Ukraine’s justice system with European standards.

See the full transcript of the podcast.

About the host and speaker

Emilia Kowalewska is a Doctoral Fellow of the Oxford Global Society.

Violeta Khodarieva is a Ukrainian lawyer specialised in anti-corruption and criminal justice. She has recently served on the selection commission tasked to fill the positions of prosecutor, Deputy Head of Unit, and Head of Unit of Ukraine’s Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO).