President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky believes that the incumbent judges of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine have to be replaced by authorized independent lawyers.

"This is a 'kangaroo court,' and its head is under investigation for the fact that in 2018 he acquired property in Russian-occupied Crimea, which is a complete violation of Ukrainian law, and did not indicate this in his electronic declaration. Several judges of this court are also under investigation for incomplete disclosure of their assets within the same legislation that they have just declared illegal is an extreme and unacceptable conflict of interest. It is not surprising that even before the crisis, only 2.2% of Ukraine's population had full confidence in the Constitutional Court. These judges have to be replaced with authorized independent lawyers," he wrote in a column for the Financial Times released on Sunday, November 1.

Zelensky said that investigations were also launched against people who acted illegally on behalf of "the vested interests of well-known influential financial groups and foreign states" in order to destroy Ukrainian anti-corruption agencies.

According to him, the introduction in 2016 of a mandatory electronic declaration and responsibility for illicit enrichment was the first and most important step in creating the basis for eradicating corruption in Ukraine, and it was then that Ukrainians discovered the glaring wealth of senior officials exposed in the declarations.

"Undermining this process is an attempt to destroy a significant part of the anti-corruption achievements of the Revolution of Dignity in 2014, achieved by Ukrainian civil society with the active support of our Western partners. This follows from another recent ruling of the Constitutional Court, which undermined the authority and leadership of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau, created to investigate bribery among senior government officials. These decisions are part of a systematic effort to undermine the rule of law, counter the progress made in our fight against corruption, weaken our society and economy and, last but not least, halt Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic integration," he said.

Zelensky said that of particular concern is the fact that the Constitutional Court is currently considering a number of other submissions from "pro-Russian and oligarch-linked MPs," which are designed to reverse serious reforms related to the land, banking and the work of the High Anti-Corruption Court.

"I am proud that we succeeded in implementing these vital reforms for the country, but now the Constitutional Court is threatening to cynically remove them. The leaders of this campaign are well known: they are a coalition of Russian confidants and some prominent Ukrainian oligarchs who feel threatened by the activities of our anti-corruption institutions. They oppose integration into the EU and NATO, Ukraine's cooperation with the IMF and a rules-based society that will benefit 99%, not just 1%," he said.

Zelensky said that, as the president of Ukraine, he would never allow "these dark forces to succeed in their attempt at counter-revolution."

The head of state also said that he had asked the Ukrainian government to start consultations and develop a broad and ambitious judicial reform program to reboot the courts.

"In these difficult times, I call on all Ukrainian pro-reform political forces and civil society to unite and cooperate in this struggle for the soul and future of our nation. I also urge our international partners and allies to continue to support us and prove the wrong of those who are trying to hinder our cooperation and frustrate it," he said.