By James Bradley
JANUARY 19, 2025—Bill No. 14372, introduced in the Ukrainian Parliament four days ago on January 15th, intends to cement public dissent of officials as a crime even in cases of heated online criticism. It amends Criminal Code Article 346, raising penalties for threats or public incitement to violence against officials to up to ten years or life in severe cases. Introduction of the bill occurred just one day after the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) charged prominent opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko, former Prime Minister of Ukraine and 2004 Soros-backed Orange revolution hero, with bribery over alleged vote-buying. The High Anti-Corruption Court imposed roughly $760,000 bail, which she paid.
Tymenshenko is known to oppose the independent legal powers of NABU and its legal arm the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) when she voted with the Parliament in July 2025 to remove those authorities, sparking protests. Zelensky signed the law but Parliament reversed it one week later due to international pressure. Recently, Tymenshenko claimed the external forces controlling NABU and administration’s fascist nature were adamant on removing her from power and influence.
Underneath the covers of the Ukrainian government, a struggle is brewing among ruling parties as Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s party Servant of the People is endanger of losing the majority. The recent Energotam corruption Scandal occurring in November of 2025 resulted in the removal of the Zelenskyy’s Chief of Staff Andrew Yermak, and supposed reassignment of his lead miliary commander of the SBU, Vasyl Malyuk. Now, the scandal is threatening Zelenskyy’s influence in Ukraine.
Yet these recent actions under President Zelensky portray NABU as a tool for selective justice. Recent accounts claim that Zelenskyy was shielded from the corruption investigation, further questioning the actions of NABU. Meanwhile the allegations against Tymenshenko reflect more ruthless pursuits of opponents granting impunity to insiders exposing deep corruption and dual standards in Kyiv’s wartime power structure.
Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) was launched in 2015 under intense pressure from the Obama administration, NATO and the EU. Spearheaded by then vice president Joe Biden for US interests, billions in U.S. aid were allocated to create the independent the anti-corruption bodies of NABU and SAPO.
USAID poured in funding for training, equipment, and international oversight of director selections. This river of funding persisted through the initial Trump administration, and continued during Biden’s presidential years through multi-year commitments that are still flowing in 2026. Additionally, NABU held ongoing FBI ties over the years.
Currently, direct U.S. leverage has waned under Trump. The role of a permanent US ambassador to Ukraine still remains vacant since Bridget Brink’s April 2025 resignation. There are also no recorded contacts between the current NABU Director Semen Kryvonos and the Trump administration. Meanwhile, aid shifts amid peace pushes. Pre-2025 Western frameworks and funds keep NABU operational, indirectly enabling unchecked domestic abuses as money continues despite freezes in new military packages.
Tymshenko’s political history does not paint a clear picture of political persecution. She was charged with corruption activities before in the 1990s, 2001, and 2009. She was also jailed in 2010 for political misconduct after barely losing an election to Pro-Russian Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych. These incidents superficially support the fickleness of political power struggles that are now being administered through NABU. Such immense display of power utilizing the pawns of NABU and SAPO seem to impede domestic stabilization efforts to secure true democracy. Perhaps this is yet another reason, why peace talks between Russia and Ukraine have stalled?
Law enforcement used by public officers to quell Ukrainian dissent does only include NABU, but also involves Ukrainian national security services like the SBU and the SBI. Both SBU and the SBI have aggressive pursued critics and opposition figures of Zelenskyy. Many of them are still languishing as political prisoners in prolonged pretrial detention on treason or other charges often without swift resolution or bail paid, such as:
- Oleksandr Dubinsky is a former MP from Zelensky’s party turned vocal critic detained since 2023 on treason and disinformation allegations. He has custody extended into March 2026.
- Nestor Shufrych is an alleged pro-Russian opposition MP, held since 2023 on treason charges. A recent court allowed his release pending over $800,000 bail. The debt remains unpaid as of early 2026, keeping him detained.
- Oleg Kulinich is an ex-SBU Crimea head, imprisoned since 2022 for alleged Russian collaboration. His case drags on without resolution.
Adding fuel, former National Bank Governor Kyrylo Shevchenko now abroad amid his own NABU case and a sharp Zelensky critic, posted on X January 17, 2026, blasting draft bill №14372.
As Trump seeks a peace plan and U.S. oversight fades, NABU’s blend of lingering Obama-Biden era structures with Zelensky’s priorities highlights a stark reality. An agency born to fight corruption now aids wartime power consolidation shielding allies from accountability while jailing dissenters and pushing laws to silence remaining voices. This dual justice undermines Ukraine’s democratic claims and raises serious questions about where Western legacy funding truly goes.