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

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has approved a contentious bill weakening Ukraine’s anti-corruption bodies, according to reports, hours after the first serious protests against his government took place in Kyiv.

The move on Tuesday puts the president on a collision course with civil society activists and some of its veterans and is likely to dismay Ukraine’s European partners.