UKRAINE Trends and Developments Contributed by: Denys Bugay, Volodymyr Vashchenko, Denys Shkarovsky and Oleksandr Lukianenko, VB Partners
Continued intensification of the use of international legal assistance mechanisms Extradition Processes of European integration, as well as the impact of the full-scale war, have contributed to the strengthening of international co-operation. Over the past three years, Ukraine has taken more steps to build relations with foreign states than during the entire preceding period of its independence. On the development of international co-operation The following features are characteristic of interna - tional co-operation in white-collar crime cases. 1. Expansion of the geographical scope of co-oper - ation. In addition to “traditional jurisdictions” (EU member states, the United Kingdom, Türkiye, Georgia, the United Arab Emirates, and others), mutual legal assis - tance is now being sought from countries in Central America, Africa and the Far East. 2. Significant reduction in the time required to obtain legal assistance from law enforcement authorities in other jurisdictions. Previously, the execution of requests could take an extended period of time. At present, the timeframe has been reduced to several weeks, or at most a few months. 3. Active use of alternatives to formal international legal assistance. Instead of relying solely on bilateral and multilateral treaties on mutual assistance, memoranda of co- operation with specific law enforcement bodies are increasingly utilised. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) has proved particularly active in seeking such alternatives. NABU co-operates with the GlobE Network, a global network of anti-corruption law enforcement authori - ties established under the auspices of the United Nations in 2021. Within this platform, NABU informal - ly exchanges information with anti-corruption bodies
in order to provide proper safeguards for business operations. In July 2025, the President of Ukraine enacted the NSDC’s decision introducing a one-year moratorium on business inspections. The aim was to reduce administrative pressure, stimulate economic growth, and enhance confidence in the business environment. In June 2025, the Verkhovna Rada appointed a new Prosecutor General, Ruslan Kravchenko, who was tasked with ensuring safeguards in cases involving businesses. An audit of criminal proceedings carried out by the General Prosecutor’s Office identified more than 23,000 cases against businesses. Following the review, a decision was taken to close over 8,100 proceedings (approximately 35%). The sheer number of cases terminated underscores the reality of systematic pressure on entrepreneurs and the fact that many proceedings were unfounded. Furthermore, in September 2025, the General Prose - cutor’s Office launched the online platform “StopPres - sure”. This service enables entrepreneurs to report instances of unlawful interference by law enforcement agencies directly to the Prosecutor General’s Office. • Parliament’s legislative work is also aimed at addressing systemic problems. Draft Law No 12439 is currently under consideration by the Verk - hovna Rada, which provides for greater safeguards for the defence against potential abuses by the prosecution, including the following. (a) The defence will be permitted to independently record searches on video. (b) Applications for the seizure of property must be considered with the participation of the property owner. (c) A maximum term of four months is set for the seizure of property, after which it must either be lifted or extended by a court. (d) If a court refuses to grant a seizure order, the investigator may not re-apply with the same motion.
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