This was communicated with the hope that Zelensky would veto it.” On Wednesday, Mr Zelensky was forced into an embarrassing U-turn after thousands of protesters descended onto the streets of Kyiv to demand that the president back down amid widespread international condemnation.

President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed criticism of the controversial new law that strips Ukraine's anti-corruption agencies of independence, saying on July 24 that there should have been a dialogue between parliament and society before its adoption.