Ukraine anti-corruption chief says his agency faces ‘dirty information campaign’
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Ukraine anti-corruption chief says his agency faces ‘dirty information campaign’
Semen Kryvonos, director of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), said he was taken aback by attempts this week to curtail his agency’s fight against graft. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy sought to defuse tensions by submitting legislation restoring the independence of NABU and its sister agency, the Specialised Anti- Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) Thousands of protesters took part in protests in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities this week after lawmakers fast-tracked a bill granting a general prosecutor power over the two bodies. The move had also threatened Kyiv’s ties with the European Union and Western donors which have been a critical source of financial and military support during Russia’s war in Ukraine. KryvonOS did not name those who may have been behind the legislation but said he had received “a huge amount” of threats. He did not identify the exact sources of resistance to his agency.
Summary Top corruption investigator speaks to Reuters in interview
Tackling corruption is vital to Ukraine’s bid to join EU
Attempts to curb anti-graft agencies’ work caused protests
U-turn by President Zelenskiy intended to defuse tensions
KYIV, July 25 (Reuters) – Ukraine’s top anti-corruption investigator said on Friday that he did not expect attempts to derail his agency’s work to end, despite an abrupt U-turn by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on curbing their independence that fuelled rare wartime protests
Semen Kryvonos, director of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), said he was taken aback by attempts this week to curtail his agency’s fight against graft but did not name those who may have been behind the legislation.
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“Everyone united around the idea of ruining our independence,” Kryvonos told Reuters in an interview in Kyiv, referring to parliament passing the controversial measures. “This was a shock for me – how much demand had built up to destroy us.”
He spoke a day after Zelenskiy sought to defuse tensions by submitting legislation restoring the independence of NABU and its sister agency, the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO).
Thousands of protesters took part in protests in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities this week after lawmakers fast-tracked a bill granting a Zelenskiy-appointed general prosecutor power over the two bodies.
The move had also threatened Kyiv’s ties with the European Union and Western donors which have been a critical source of financial and military support during Russia’s war in Ukraine
Kryvonos applauded Zelenskiy’s reversal, but said NABU and SAPO remain a high-priority target for vested interests aiming to stymie their closely watched efforts to clean up.
Parliament will consider Zelenskiy’s new bill in a special session next week.
But Kryvonos worries corrupt actors will step up a “dirty information campaign” already being waged against NABU on widely read anonymous Telegram channels, casting the agency as slow or ineffective.
He did not identify the exact sources of resistance to his agency’s work, saying only that they are “various representatives of the government, various financial groups”.
“Everyone who is offended by NABU and SAPO will be pushing out this message,” Kryvonos said.
‘SYSTEMIC WORK’ AND THREATS
Since Russia’s February 2022 invasion, Ukraine has stepped up a campaign to eradicate the pervasive graft that has plagued its political culture for decades.
Stamping out corruption is both critical to Kyiv’s bid to join the EU and its effort to erase a legacy of autocracy and Russian rule.
NABU and SAPO, launched with Western support after a 2014 revolution toppled a pro-Russian president, have levelled charges against lawmakers and senior government officials.
In recent months, Kryvonos’s agency has uncovered huge real estate schemes in the capital Kyiv and accused a then deputy prime minister of taking a $345,000 kickback.
Kryvonos suggested such efforts had led to a sweeping crackdown this week that paved the way for the rollback of NABU’s and SAPO’s powers.
Two NABU officials were arrested for suspected ties to Russia and nearly 20 other agency employees searched over lesser alleged infractions in a campaign critics said went too far.
“All of this was a result of systemic work by NABU and SAPO, especially over the past half-year,” he said, adding that he had also received “a huge amount” of threats.
Despite winning a hard-fought victory this week, he said resistance was still widespread enough across the political landscape to pose a serious challenge.
He cited the controversial law that had been supported by most of Zelenskiy’s political party as well as opposition lawmakers and those associated with former pro-Russian factions.
Political elites, Kryvonos said, “need to stop considering us as enemies…and accept us as an important part of state institutions.”
Editing by Timothy Heritage
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French plan to recognise Palestinian state draws fire from Israel, US
France will become the first major Western country to recognise a Palestinian state. The news sparked anger in Israel and Washington. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States “strongly rejects” the move. Canada also pressed Israel to seek peace, with Prime Minister Mark Carney condemning its “failure to prevent the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian disaster in Gaza” Canada also accused Israel of violating international law over the blocking of Canadian-funded aid to civilians in the war-torn Palestinian enclave. The move is a ‘slap in the face’ for October 7 victims, says Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz, adding that Israel would not allow the establishment of a “Palestinian entity that would harm our security, endanger our existence” The move could fuel a movement so far dominated by smaller nations generally more critical of Israel. The U.N. General Assembly is scheduled to meet in September to discuss the situation in the Middle East, including the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. The meeting has been postponed after the 12-day Israel-Iran war began.
Aim is to create momentum for others to follow
Israel’s Katz: decision is a surrender to terrorism
US says the move is a ‘slap in the face’ for October 7 victims
Canada accuses Israel of violating international law
PARIS/WASHINGTON, July 24 (Reuters) – France intends to recognise a Palestinian state in September at the United Nations General Assembly, President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday in hopes of bringing peace to the region, but the plan drew angry rebukes from Israel and the United States.
Macron, who unveiled the decision on X, published a letter sent to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas confirming France’s intention to press ahead with Palestinian recognition and work to convincing other partners to follow suit.
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“True to its historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognise the state of Palestine,” Macron said.
“I will make this solemn announcement at the United Nations General Assembly next September.”
Home to Europe’s largest Jewish and Muslim communities, France will become the first major Western country to recognise a Palestinian state, potentially fuelling a movement so far dominated by smaller nations generally more critical of Israel.
The news sparked anger in Israel and Washington.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the decision by one of Israel’s closest allies and a G7 member, saying such a move “rewards terror and risks creating another Iranian proxy.”
In a post on X, he added, “A Palestinian state in these conditions would be a launch pad to annihilate Israel — not to live in peace beside it.
“Let’s be clear: the Palestinians do not seek a state alongside Israel; they seek a state instead of Israel.”
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz described the move as “a disgrace and a surrender to terrorism,” adding that Israel would not allow the establishment of a “Palestinian entity that would harm our security, endanger our existence.”
In response, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States “strongly rejects (Macron’s) plan to recognize a Palestinian state at the UN general assembly.”
In a post on X, he said, “This reckless decision only serves Hamas propaganda and sets back peace. It is a slap in the face to the victims of October 7th.”
Earlier, Canada also pressed Israel to seek peace, with Prime Minister Mark Carney condemning its “failure to prevent the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian disaster in Gaza” and reiterating support for a two-state solution.
Carney also accused Israel of violating international law over the blocking of Canadian-funded aid to civilians in the war-torn Palestinian enclave.
“Canada calls on all sides to negotiate an immediate ceasefire in good faith,” he added.
Item 1 of 2 A boy holds a Palestinian flag during a demonstration against what Palestinians say is Israel’s confiscation of their land, as Isareli security forces stand guard, in Raba, near Jenin, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank July 18, 2025. REUTERS/Raneen Sawafta TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY [1/2] A boy holds a Palestinian flag during a demonstration against what Palestinians say is Israel’s confiscation of their land, as Isareli security forces stand guard, in Raba, near Jenin, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank July 18, 2025. REUTERS/Raneen Sawafta TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY Purchase Licensing Rights , opens new tab
“We reiterate our calls for Hamas to immediately release all the hostages, and for the Israeli government to respect the territorial integrity of the West Bank and Gaza.”
In a diplomatic cable in June, the United States said it opposed steps to unilaterally recognise a Palestinian state, even saying it could go against U.S. foreign policy interests and draw consequences.
In June, Washington’s ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, said he did not think an independent Palestinian state remained a U.S. foreign policy goal.
President Donald Trump has himself expressed doubts about a two-state solution, proposing a U.S. takeover of Gaza in February, that was condemned by rights groups, Arab states, Palestinians and the U.N. as a proposal of “ethnic cleansing”.
Macron had been leaning towards recognising a Palestinian state for months as part of a bid to keep the idea of a two-state solution alive, despite the pressure not to do so.
French officials initially weighed up the move ahead of a United Nations conference, which France and Saudi Arabia had planned to co-host in June to lay out parameters for a roadmap to a Palestinian state, while ensuring Israel’s security.
The conference was postponed under U.S. pressure and after the 12-day Israel-Iran air war began, during which the closure of regional airspace made it hard for representatives of some Arab states to attend.
It was rescheduled and downgraded to a ministerial event on July 28 and July 29, with a second event taking place with heads of state and government on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in September.
CREATING MOMENTUM
The decision to make the announcement ahead of next week’s conference aimed to give the French team at the United Nations a framework to work with other countries that are also considering recognising a Palestinian state or have misgivings in doing so.
Diplomats say Macron has faced resistance from allies such as Britain and Canada over his push for the recognition of a Palestinian state. About 40 foreign ministers will be in New York next week.
Israeli officials have spent months lobbying to prevent what some have called “a nuclear bomb” for bilateral ties.
Sources familiar with the matter say Israel’s warnings to France have ranged from scaling back intelligence sharing to complicating Paris’ regional initiatives – even hinting at possible annexation of parts of the West Bank.
Israel has been waging a devastating war in Gaza since the Palestinian militant group Hamas’ deadly attack on Israel in October 2023 and says recognising a Palestinian state now would be equivalent to rewarding Hamas.
Thanking France, the Palestinian Authority’s Vice President Hussein Al Sheikh said on X that Macron’s decision reflected “France’s commitment to international law and its support for the Palestinian people’s rights to self-determination and the establishment of our independent state.”
(This story has been refiled to drop the reference to Jerusalem in paragraph 6)
Reporting by John Irish; Additional Reporting by Enas Alashray and Yomna Ehab in Cairo and Ismail Shakil in Ottawa; Editing by Lincoln Feast and Clarence Fernandez
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US has talked with Syria about death of US citizen, State Dept says
U.S. citizen Hosam Saraya died last week in the predominantly Druze region of Sweida. Videos shared on social media showed eight men kneeling in civilian clothes before being executed by gunfire by a group of soldiers. “Hosam and his family deserve justice, and those responsible for this atrocity must be held accountable,” a State Department spokesperson said. The death comes at a complex time for the Syrian government, which rose to power after long-time dictator Bashar al-Assad was deposed last year.
WASHINGTON, July 24 (Reuters) – The U.S. State Department has called for an immediate investigation into the recent death of a U.S. citizen in Syria, and there have been direct discussions with the Syrian government about the issue, deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott said on Thursday.
U.S. citizen Hosam Saraya died last week in the predominantly Druze region of Sweida, the State Department previously confirmed, amid ongoing sectarian clashes there.
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ABC News last week cited videos shared on social media that showed eight men kneeling in civilian clothes before being executed by gunfire by a group of soldiers. One of the victims was apparently Saraya.
“What I can say is we have had direct discussions with the Syrian government on this issue, and have called for an immediate investigation into the matter,” Pigott told reporters during a press briefing.
“Hosam and his family deserve justice, and those responsible for this atrocity must be held accountable.”
Saraya’s death comes at a complex time for the Syrian government, which rose to power after long-time dictator Bashar al-Assad was deposed last year.
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa is struggling to keep together a country beset by sectarian rifts, and he faces suspicion among some Western leaders due to his past membership in violent terrorist organizations. Israeli forces have pressed deep into the country’s southwest.
The fighting in Sweida has pitted the Druze, who distrust the new government in Damascus, against Sunni Muslim Bedouin.
In May, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he would lift sanctions on Syria in a bid to integrate the new government into the international community. In late June, he officially signed an executive order terminating U.S. sanctions.
Reporting by Daphne Psaledakis; Writing by Gram Slattery; Editing by Chris Reese and Franklin Paul
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Kremlin says Putin and Zelenskiy can only meet as final step to clinch a peace deal
Kremlin says a summit between Putin and Zelenskiy could only happen as a final step to seal a peace deal. Ukraine says a leaders’ meeting is required in order to achieve a breakthrough in the slow-moving process. U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened new sanctions on Russia and buyers of its exports unless an agreement is reached by early September. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that it was unlikely that such a meeting could occur by the end of August, as Ukraine has proposed. He described the two sides’ negotiating positions as “diametrically opposed”
Item 1 of 2 Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with VTB Bank President and Chairman of the United Shipbuilding Corporation Management Board Andrey Kostin and United Shipbuilding Corporation Director General Andrei Puchkov, in Severodvinsk, Arkhangelsk region, Russia July 24, 2025. Sputnik/Alexander Kazakov/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
MOSCOW, July 25 (Reuters) – The Kremlin said on Friday that a summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy could only happen as a final step to seal a peace deal.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that it was unlikely that such a meeting could occur by the end of August, as Ukraine has proposed.
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“A summit meeting can and should put the final point on a settlement and cement the modalities and agreements worked out by experts. It is impossible to do it the other way round,” Peskov told reporters.
“Is it possible to go through such a complex process in 30 days? Well, obviously, it is unlikely.”
Ukraine says a leaders’ meeting is required in order to achieve a breakthrough in the slow-moving process, which has seen the two sides hold three brief sessions of peace talks in Turkey since mid-May.
In comments to journalists, Zelenskiy said Russia had begun to engage over the possibility of such a meeting.
“Now, in talks with us, they have begun to discuss it. This is already progress towards some kind of meeting format,” he said.
A Ukrainian delegate said after the latest round of peace talks on Wednesday, which lasted just 40 minutes, that Kyiv had proposed a Putin-Zelenskiy meeting in August because that would fall within the 50-day deadline that U.S. President Donald Trump had set last week for a deal.
Trump has threatened new sanctions on Russia and buyers of its exports unless an agreement is reached by early September.
Peskov once again described the two sides’ negotiating positions as “diametrically opposed”.
“It is unlikely that they can be brought together overnight. This will require very complex diplomatic work,” he said.
Reporting by Dmitry Antonov in Moscow and Anastasiia Melenko in Kyiv; Writing by Mark Trevelyan, Editing by William Maclean
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Germany not planning to recognise Palestinian state in short term
Germany says its priority now is to make “long-overdue progress” towards a two-state solution. Germany’s stance on Israel is influenced by what it regards as a special responsibility to atone for the Nazi Holocaust against European Jews. France’s decision to recognise a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly in September also drew condemnation from Israel and the United States. Italy’s foreign minister says recognition of Palestinian state must occur simultaneously with recognition of Israel by the new entity. The move, though symbolic, underlined Israel’s increasing international isolation over its devastating war in Gaza and could open the door for other major nations to perhaps follow suit. The Palestine Liberation Organization recognised Israel’s right to exist in 1993 at the start of the U.S.-backed peace process. Palestinians have long sought to create an independent state in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem – lands Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war.
BERLIN, July 25 (Reuters) – Germany is not planning to recognise a Palestinian state in the short term and said its priority now is to make “long-overdue progress” towards a two-state solution, a German government spokesperson said on Friday.
“Israel’s security is of paramount importance to the German government,” said the spokesperson. “The German government therefore has no plans to recognise a Palestinian state in the short term.”
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France’s decision to recognise a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly in September also drew condemnation from Israel and the United States, amid the ongoing war in Gaza between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas.
Germany’s stance on Israel is strongly influenced by what it regards as a special responsibility to atone for the Nazi Holocaust against European Jews in which six million were killed during Hitler’s 1933-45 regime.
French President Emmanuel Macron announced the decision late Thursday, shortly before British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he would hold an emergency call with France and Germany on the humanitarian situation in Gaza on Friday.
Britain’s immediate priority is alleviating suffering in Gaza and securing a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, a cabinet minister said on Friday, even as Starmer came under growing pressure to recognise a Palestinian state.
Italy’s foreign minister said on Friday that recognition of a Palestinian state must occur simultaneously with the recognition of Israel by the new entity.
“A Palestinian state that does not recognise Israel means that the problem will not be resolved,” Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told a meeting of his conservative Forza Italia party.
France’s move, though symbolic, underlined Israel’s increasing international isolation over its devastating war in Gaza and could open the door for other major nations to perhaps follow suit.
PALESTINIAN LEADER WELCOMES FRENCH MOVE
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, in a statement welcoming the French move, credited the leadership of Saudi Arabia with playing “a key role in encouraging France’s decision to recognise the State of Palestine”, the Palestinian official news agency WAFA reported.
“President Abbas urged all countries, especially European nations that have not yet recognised the State of Palestine, to do so based on the internationally endorsed two-state solution,” it cited Abbas as saying.
Saudi Arabia has been pushing France to recognise Palestine over the past year with efforts led by Saudi foreign minister Faisal bin Farhan, said a source close to the royal court.
Palestinians have long sought to create an independent state in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem – lands Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war – through a mediated peace process.
Many accuse Israel of having destroyed Palestinian statehood prospects through increased settlement building in the West Bank and by levelling much of Gaza during the current war.
Israel rejects this.
The Palestine Liberation Organization recognised Israel’s right to exist in peace in 1993 at the start of the U.S.-backed peace process which set up the Palestinian Authority, which Abbas heads, in what Palestinians hoped would be a stepping stone towards statehood.
But Hamas and other Palestinian Islamist militants who dominate Gaza and frequently clash with Israeli forces in the West Bank refuse to recognise Israel.
Hamas’ 1988 founding charter called for the destruction of Israel, although Hamas leaders have at times offered a long-term truce with Israel in return for a viable Palestinian state on all Palestinian territory occupied by Israel in the 1967 war. Israel regards this as a ruse.
Reporting by Miranda Murray and Andreas Rinke in Berlin, Ali Sawafta in Ramallah, Pesha Magid in Riyadh, Angelo Amante in Rome and Tom Perry in Beirut; editing by Kirsti Knolle and Mark Heinrich
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