FILE PHOTO: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen speaks with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy prior to a bilateral meeting in Rome, Italy, April 26, 2025. Andrew Medichini/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
BRUSSELS (Reuters) -European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called on Sunday for President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to uphold independent anti-corruption bodies, with the Ukrainian leader signaling that supporting legislation could be adopted within days.
"Ukraine has already achieved a lot on its European path. It must build on these solid foundations and preserve independent anti-corruption bodies, which are cornerstones of Ukraine's rule of law," von der Leyen said in a post on X after a call with Zelenskiy.
After a rare outburst of public criticism, Zelenskiy on Thursday submitted draft legislation to restore the independence of Ukraine's anti-corruption agencies - reversing course of an earlier bill aimed at stripping their autonomy.
"I thanked the European Commission for the provided expertise," Zelenskiy said in a post on X after his Sunday call with von der Leyen.
"We share the same vision: it is important that the bill is adopted without delay, as early as next week."
Von der Leyen also promised continued support for Ukraine on its path to EU membership.
"Ukraine can count on our support to deliver progress on its European path," she added.
(Reporting by Bart Meijer in Brussels and Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Peter Graff and Nick Zieminski)
