No Verkhovna Rada sitting planned before 18 August – "Servant of People" Vasylevska-Smahliuk
No sitting of the Verkhovna Rada is planned before 18 August.
Olha Vasylevska-Smahliuk, an MP from the Servant of the People faction, said this in a comment to Censor.NET.
Parliamentary sitting schedule
"According to the information available to me, there will be no sittings before 18 August. Even if the president submits a nominee for defence minister, we will decide whether to convene. The Conciliation Council makes that decision. But as of now, there have been no signals that we need to prepare for a sitting. And Davyd Arakhamiia said in the chat that he had managed to preserve the current sitting schedule," she noted.
Appointment of defence minister
The politician admitted that she would vote for any reasonable nominee for defence minister submitted by the president. Asked whether Zelenskyy might nominate Mykhailo Fedorov, Vasylevska-Smahliuk said:
"Anything can happen in this country, but I do not believe the president will do so. At least not under the current circumstances."
Protests and views of military personnel
The MP also stressed that she generally viewed the protests positively.
"This is a sign that Ukraine is a democratic state and that people are free to hold any demonstrations. But as of today, any protest demanding that a particular person be reinstated appears rather strange to me. We are people fighting for values, not personalities. I would not say that Fedorov is the ideal, unblemished, or best defence minister. In general, I am quite cautious about any personnel recommendations. Therefore, the ‘cardboard’ protest may demand anything or anyone; that is their right. But the president also has the right to nominate the person he considers appropriate. He bears responsibility for that decision," she added.
Commenting on the possibility that the protests could continue indefinitely, the MP said:
"By all means. I am glad that, despite the war, we have managed to preserve democratic values. But I would like us to hear not only those who are ‘fighting’ on Franka Street, but also those fighting on the front line. They have not made their voices heard yet. They are probably busy. My husband, for example, is currently in the Donbas. Valerii Zub’s son is in the Zaporizhzhia region. I would like these and other service members to help the president decide who should be defence minister. The opinions of people demanding something rooted in values and strategy carry more weight for me than those advocating for particular individuals. Is Daria Kaleniuk’s husband or anyone else close to her fighting for her to decide whether we will survive with Fedorov or not?! With all due respect to Fedorov. He is a great manager. However, if Fedorov believes that the only position worthy of him is defence minister, I have a great many questions for him. If he has a host of reforms to pursue, he can implement them in any role."
New Cabinet of Ministers and Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine; Fedorov’s resignation
- On July 14, the Verkhovna Rada supported a resolution on the resignation of Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko. The entire Cabinet of Ministers automatically resigned with her.
- On July 15, Mykhailo Fedorov said that he was stepping down as head of the Defence Ministry.
- Rallies in support of Mykhailo Fedorov were held in Dnipro, Rivne, Zaporizhzhia, Lutsk, Cherkasy and other cities. Participants are protesting against his resignation.
- On July 16, the Verkhovna Rada voted to appoint the new Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. Serhii Koretskyi was appointed Prime Minister.
- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that he would nominate Yevhenii Khmara for the post of Ukraine’s defence minister. Before doing so, he tasked Khmara with serving as acting head of the Defence Ministry.
- Protests against Fedorov’s resignation have continued in Ukrainian cities. In addition to demanding Fedorov’s return as defence minister, people have called for Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi to be dismissed.
- On 21 July, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed Oleksandr Syrskyi from his post as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He appointed General Mykhailo Drapatyi to the post instead.
