Ukraine could axe one-third of parliament
The Rada is a year overdue for elections, which remain suspended under martial law. In a recent interview with Ukrinform, Stefanchuk said the current parliament is bloated.
'There is a demand in Ukrainian society for a reduction in the number of deputies,'
the speaker stated.
'It's not about sympathies or antipathies. It's simply that the number of Ukrainians needing representation has decreased. When we had 52 million people, it was different, but now, with fewer citizens, a change needs to be debated.'
The current Ukrainian parliament is officially more than 70 MPs short and struggles to maintain the quorum necessary to pass legislation. Initially, it had only 26 vacant seats, reserved for constituencies in Crimea and Donbass, where no elections were held in 2019 due to lack of control by Kiev.
Read more
Ukrainians who moved to the West not coming back – MP
Support for Vladimir Zelensky's agenda in parliament appears uncertain. After US President Donald Trump labeled Zelensky a
'dictator'
in February, the Rada
failed
to pass a statement supporting the Ukrainian leader during a visit from senior EU officials. The resolution was eventually passed the following day.
Ukraine's population was just under 52 million when it declared independence in 1991 amid the USSR's collapse. By the time of the last census in 2001, that number had dropped to 48.5 million. A 2024 government demographic report estimates the population in Kiev-controlled territories at 31.1 million.
Kiev anticipates persistent labor shortages ahead, as many Ukrainians who have fled since the escalation of conflict with Russia in 2022 show little intention of returning. Officials are debating whether to attract millions of non-citizens to fill the gaps.
Zelensky claims that his primary goal in the conflict with Russia is to protect the people. Moscow has accused him of waging a war
'to the last Ukrainian'
in pursuit of Western interests and personal ambition.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Russia Today
3 days ago
- Russia Today
Central American nation recognizes new Russian regions
Nicaragua fully supports Moscow in the conflict with Kiev and now recognizes the incorporation of four formerly Ukrainian regions into Russia, the country's co-Presidents Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo have announced. The country's leadership made the announcement on Wednesday in an open letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin circulated by local media. The co-presidents said the country's government and its people 'recognize and firmly support the heroic battle Russia is waging against Ukrainian neo-Nazism which is supported by NATO.' 'We stand in solidarity with the Russian Families who have sacrificed the Lives of their Loved Ones in defense of the Russian People and World Peace. We are certain of Russia's victory against these evil forces, against the hegemonic powers, against fascism. The victory of Russia is the victory of humanity,' the letter reads. The co-presidents expressed their 'full support and full recognition of the Donetsk, Kherson, Lugansk, and Zaporozhye regions' as integral parts of Russia. The territories were incorporated into the country in late 2022 after the idea was overwhelmingly backed by the local population during a series of referendums. The announcement drew an angry reaction from Kiev, with Ukraine's Foreign Ministry demanding that Nicaragua further elaborate on the matter, either confirming the recognition of the territories or explicitly refuting it. 'The absence of such a refutation in the near future will be regarded by the Ukrainian side as confirmation of the veracity of such media reports, with all the ensuing consequences,' the ministry warned. Nicaragua has long backed Russia in the standoff against Ukraine. Managua recognized the incorporation of Crimea shortly after it joined Russia via a referendum in the aftermath of the 2014 Maidan coup in Kiev. In 2020, Kiev slapped sanctions on Managua after it opened a consulate in Crimea. The restrictions, however, hardly affected Nicaragua's position, with the country striking a trade and economic partnership deal with the Russian peninsula next year, further expanding the cooperation amid the ongoing full-blown hostility between Moscow and Kiev.
Russia Today
3 days ago
- Russia Today
‘16,000 sanctions… and Russia continues to move forward'
The unprecedented number of Western sanctions imposed on Russia over the Ukraine conflict has 'clearly had no impact,' as the country has adapted its economy, retired US Army Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Davis has said. Speaking on his YouTube show on Thursday, Davis discussed US President Donald Trump's renewed push to pressure Moscow using new sanctions unless a peace deal is reached. Earlier this week, Trump slashed his original 50-day deadline for Russia and Ukraine to settle the conflict down to just ten days. He warned that a failure to do so would trigger sweeping penalties, including 100% tariffs and possible secondary sanctions targeting Russia's trade partners. 'One has to wonder on what basis President Trump still seems to think he can coerce Russia to come to the table,' Davis said, adding that previous deadlines have 'meant little.' Moscow has repeatedly said it remains open to talks, but that any deal must reflect the realities on the ground and address the root causes of the conflict. Davis, a veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, questioned how further sanctions or timelines could shift the current strategic picture. Russia, he noted, has adapted to years of pressure. 'All these [Western] sanctions – the 18 rounds, the total of 16,000 measures the US has imposed on Russia over many years – have clearly had no impact,' he said. 'Russia continues to move forward because it has largely made itself self-sufficient.' Trump acknowledged on Friday that the new measures may prove ineffective but confirmed his administration would move ahead unless a deal is reached. According to Davis, if the latest deadline fails again, Trump risks looking 'ineffective, having exhausted his political capital.' The Kremlin says Russia has long grown accustomed to Western pressure, calling the sanctions illegal and counterproductive. Moscow maintains they have backfired on countries imposing them. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that over 28,000 sanctions had been imposed against Russian companies and individuals, more than the total number of restrictions on all other countries combined. He stressed the measures have failed to destabilize the economy or isolate it.
Russia Today
4 days ago
- Russia Today
Ukrainian kamikaze drone plummets into Russian lake (VIDEO)
A Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) crashed into a lake in Russia and exploded on contact with the water surface, a new video circulating online purports to show. The video, which emerged on Wednesday, is said to have been taken by fishermen at Orlik Lake, a large body of water just to the northwest of the city of Bryansk. Footage shows a large fixed-wing kamikaze drone cruising above the lake before abruptly taking a sharp dive and crashing into the lake, exploding on impact. The incident was cheered by the fishermen, who seem to have welcomed the unexpected blast-fishing opportunity and suggested they should go and collect the stunned fish, the video shows. According to Russian media reports, the drone lost control after being subjected to electronic warfare measures. Moscow and Kiev have recently been exchanging long-range attacks using larger kamikaze UAVs to reach deeper into each other's territory. In the early morning hours of Thursday, Russian missiles and drones targeted Ukrainian 'defense industry facilities, a military airfield infrastructure, and a depot storing ammunition, missiles, and components for the production of unmanned aerial vehicles.' Russia maintains that it only strikes military and dual-use sites. Moscow has also said that its raids are retaliation for indiscriminate Ukrainian strikes deep into its territory, which often hit civilian sites and infrastructure. Earlier this month, Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky reiterated his intention to 'bring the war to Russian territory' and vowed to ramp up the long-range attacks.
