Rada to schedule Donbas reintegration, anti-corruption court

Ukraine’s parliamentary conciliatory committee is set
to consider today whether to schedule votes this week on the second reading of
the Donbas reintegration bill and several drafts to create an independent
Anti-Corruption Court, including the president’s version, the parliament’s
website reported. The Donbas reintegration bill is already scheduled for
parliamentary review on Jan. 16 but could be withdrawn, news reports said.

Zenon Zawada: Our sources
indicate that Western governments, particularly the U.S. government, have yet
to offer backing for the second reading of the Donbas reintegration bill.
Though it has reportedly undergone significant rewriting, the bill has yet to
satisfy the major players involved. So we don’t expect it will come for a vote
this week, or anytime in the next few weeks, for that matter. It is not being
required by the IMF but it’s wanted by both the Western and Ukrainian
establishments to better defend against Russia’s hybrid warfare.

Meanwhile, the president’s bill to create the
Anti-Corruption Court, which is required by the IMF, is unlikely to draw the
support of a parliamentary majority given its controversial points that are
criticized by NGOs and pro-Western reformers. We expect a long, intense battle
to approve legislation that will serve as a compromise between the interests of
Ukraine’s fearful ruling elite and the Western establishment.