Facing growing pressure amid nationwide protests, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine backtracked on controversial legislation that would have weakened the country’s independent anticorruption institutions. Katrin Bennhold, a senior writer, and Marc Santora, an international news editor for The New York Times, explain the events that led to the reversal.

The demonstrators were angered by government moves to dismantle anticorruption efforts and quell dissent.

Ukraine’s president ran on a promise to clean things up, but critics say his government is cracking down on anti-corruption activists, critics and agencies.