Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has signed into law controversial amendments to the country's anticorruption legislation requiring representatives of nongovernmental organizations to file assets declarations.
Poroshenko on March 27 signed the amendments, which also relieve military officers of the obligation to file such declarations.
Poroshenko said the measure acknowledges "the necessity of taking into account the interests of hundreds of thousands of servicemen who currently defend Ukraine from Russian aggression."
Earlier, British Ambassador to Ukraine Judith Gough described the reporting requirement for NGOs as "a serious step back" for Ukraine that could "limit NGOs' capacity" and "expose them to pressure."
The reporting requirement for NGOs takes effect in 2018, and Poroshenko agreed to create a working group with NGO representatives to discuss its implementation.
In a meeting with NGOs in Kyiv on March 27, Poroshenko expressed his support for their efforts to fight corruption and said any political pressure or restrictions on their activity was inadmissible.