Zelenskyy defends bill stripping anti-corruption bodies’ independence amid protests

Move by Ukrainian president widely opposed and may prove a setback to hopes of country one day joining the EU

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has defended his approval of a contentious bill that weakens Ukraine's anti-corruption bodies as its passage into law triggered the first serious protests against his government.

The move on Tuesday has put the president on a collision course with civil society activists and some of Ukraine's veterans, and is likely to dismay Ukraine's European partners.