President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a video meeting with the ambassadors of the G7 countries and the European Union accredited to Ukraine.
Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak and Director of the National Anticorruption Bureau of Ukraine Artem Sytnyk also joined the conversation.
The meeting was dedicated to the ways out of the crisis caused by the recent decisions of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine, to the functioning of the National Anticorruption Bureau and to the effective judicial reform.
The President stressed that he did not accept the latest decisions of the Constitutional Court.
"I totally did not accept the recent decision of the Constitutional Court to repeal some of the provisions of anticorruption legislation. In fact, it has "nullified" the entire anticorruption system," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
He noted that the priority task of the Ukrainian authorities was to ensure the continuous operation of anticorruption bodies and to restore the system of electronic declaration.
The Head of State reminded that he had a detailed conversation with President of the Venice Commission Gianni Buquicchio on this issue recently, who offered the expertise of the commission in this difficult situation.
In addition, Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented concrete steps to overcome the constitutional crisis. Among them are the resumption of criminal liability by the end of the year for lying in declarations, the return of all control functions to the NACP and the resolution of the issue of the Constitutional Court.
Separately, the President stressed that the Ukrainian authorities face a more strategic task - the reform of the judiciary.
"I am convinced that there is an urgent need to restore the confidence of Ukrainian citizens in the judiciary. Right now is the best time to implement judicial reform," the President said.
He said that the work of the Commission for Legal Reform at the Office of the President was resumed. It’s work is aimed, in particular, at reforming the judiciary in Ukraine. Consultations on relevant legislative initiatives are also currently being held with international partners.
The G7 ambassadors stressed that they support the President's efforts to implement judicial reform, which is a key factor in Ukraine's transition to a new level of European integration. The diplomats also fully supported the quick reaction of the Ukrainian authorities to the decision of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine.
The parties agreed that the procedure for the fair and transparent selection of new CCU judges should be ensured.
Separately, the participants discussed the threats facing the National Anticorruption Bureau of Ukraine due to the decision of the Constitutional Court.
The President stressed that the recognition of certain provisions of the Law "On the National Anticorruption Bureau of Ukraine" as unconstitutional does not currently pose any threats that could affect the legitimacy and independence of both NABU and its current director.
“The decision of the Constitutional Court does not cancel the fact of formation and functioning of NABU, does not limit the work of NABU detectives and does not call into question the status of NABU as a law enforcement body. We guarantee that after December 16, the NABU director will remain in office," the President said.
Director of the National Anticorruption Bureau Artem Sytnyk noted that he fully agrees with the position of the Head of State and the Office of the President of Ukraine on the absence of factors that critically affect the work of the body. And that the CCU's decision does not currently affect NABU's ability to perform its duties independently and effectively. At the same time, NABU together with the authorities will work out a number of potential threats that may create conflicts of law due to the decisions of the CCU in the future.
The G7 ambassadors stressed that such systematic meetings with the Head of State and the Head of the President's Office on topical issues are the basis for effective cooperation.