On May, 3, 90 votes were cast in the Verkhovna Rada. In total, MPs have passed 9 legislative initiatives. The average attendance of MPs was 88%. MPs voted “in favour” in 40% of cases, there was 31% of “abstained”, in 0.5% of cases they voted “against”. In 16.5% of cases, they did not vote at all. The absenteeism rate was 12%. The "low motivation" of MPs in many votes can be explained by consideration of a large number of amendments to the Law of Ukraine on the Legal Regime of Martial Law, regarding the functioning of local self-government during the period of martial law No.7269. In fact, the Verkhovna Rada failed all 60 amendments, and the consideration of the draft law in the second reading was postponed.

Instead, the remaining (30) votes in the Verkhovna Rada were successful. They received between 268 and 346 of “yes” votes. In particular, MPs adopted the following initiatives:

On Ukraine's accession to the Convention on the Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents (No.0140); as a general principle.

The law provides for the entry into force for Ukraine of the Convention on the Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents. This will improve systems for the prevention, preparation, response and management of transboundary industrial accidents, provide opportunities to receive assistance under the Convention to increase Ukraine's capacity and exchange of experience in these areas, and use the Convention as an additional legal mechanism to address the impact of accidents that have occurred in the territory of a neighbouring country but which consequences spread to the territory of Ukraine.

Ukraine's participation in the Convention on the Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents will also ensure that our state meets one of the criteria for membership in the European Union.

Ratification of the Agreement on Ukraine's Participation in the Horizon Europe Framework Programme for Research and Innovation and the Research and Training Programme of the European Atomic Energy Community (No.0142); as a general principle.

The adoption of the draft Law ensures the implementation of all the necessary internal procedures for the entry into force of the said Agreement and the entry into force of the associate membership of Ukraine in the Ninth Framework Programme of the European Union for Research and Innovation "Horizon Europe" (2021–2027) (hereinafter referred to as the "Horizon Europe" program) and the Research and Training Program of the European Atomic Energy Community (2021–2025) (hereinafter referred to as the "Euratom" program).

On the Appeal of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to the House of Representatives and the Senate of the Congress of the United States of America on the Recognition of the Russian Federation as a Sponsor State of Terrorism (No. 7341); as a general principle.

In this Resolution, the Verkhovna Rada emphasized that the United States of America, as a strategic partner of Ukraine, plays a key role in supporting our state in its most difficult time – the time of armed aggression of the russian federation. On behalf of the Ukrainian people, the parliament is grateful to the United States for the assistance and support provided, as well as for sanctions against russia.

In addition, the Parliament called for the following:

  • to apply, within the limits of the specified powers, to the U.S. Department of State regarding the preparation of an opinion on the recognition of the rf as a state sponsor of terrorism;
  • to support the opinion on the recognition of the rf as a State sponsor of terrorism;
  • to strengthen sanctions against the rf and states cooperating with it and supporting its terrorist regime;
  • to impose sanctions against government and business circles, and political parties of the rf supporting the war against Ukraine;
  • to recognize the illegal entities of the so-called "LPR" and "DPR", as well as the armed forces of the rf by terrorist organizations, in particular in view of the atrocities they have been committing in Ukraine, accompanied by special brutality, the shooting of civilians, mass rape of women, men and children, as well as the intentional creation of conditions for a humanitarian disaster,
  • to support all proposed initiatives for the systematic and maximum provision of defensive, sanction-based, financial, and humanitarian support to Ukraine, which will help our state to resist the war against the aggressor state – the russian federation – and to confidently take the road of strengthening democracy and fighting autocracy.

Draft Resolution on the Statement of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine "On the Occasion of the 77th Anniversary of the Victory Over Nazism and on the Inadmissibility of the russian federation's Appropriation of the Victory Over Nazism  (No. 7343); as a general principle.

On the eve of the Day of Remembrance and Reconciliation, on May 8, and the Day of Victory over Nazism in the Second World War, on May 9, which Ukraine commemorates under the full-scale military aggression by russia, accompanied by numerous war crimes by the russian army and military-political leadership, the Verkhovna Rada:

  • declared the inadmissibility of the monopolization by the russian federation of the victory over Nazism in the Second World War, which came as a joint achievement of the Anti-Hitler Coalition and the liberation movements, and the war itself was a shared tragedy of the peoples of the world;
  • emphasized that the crimes of the russian federation in Ukraine should be stopped, and the russian putin regime shall be condemned and defeated by the joint effort of the entire civilized world; 
  • convinced that after the victory in the russian-Ukrainian war, our state and the Ukrainian people will honor with dignity the new national holiday of victory over present-day Nazism, which will unite the whole society.

In the resolution, the Verkhovna Rada also stated that the actions of the Russian armed forces have signs of genocide against Ukrainian citizens, at the very least. By such actions, the russian federation has lost any moral right to appeal to the legacy of victory over Nazism because its actions de facto repeat Nazi atrocities and desecrate the memory of the feats of veterans and participants in the Second World War.

On Amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine on Cooperation with the International Criminal Court  (No.7304); as a general principle.

The law provides for the admission of the International Criminal Court to operate in Ukraine. Consequently, the Code of Criminal Procedure of Ukraine was supplemented with a new section that establishes the procedure and principles of interaction with the ICC. The key aspects that were settled:

  • procedures for ICC actions on the territory of Ukraine;
  • procedures for the transfer of criminal proceedings to the International Criminal Court;
  • procedures for taking measures to ensure the preservation of evidence on the territory of Ukraine upon request of the ICC;
  • procedures for the implementation of the request of the ICC for assistance, which relates to the conduct of procedural actions;
  • procedures for the detention of persons who are wanted by the ICC or in respect of whom the ICC has requested a temporary arrest or arrest and transfer;
  • procedures for the implementation of decisions of the International Criminal Court in Ukraine, etc.

On Amendments to the Law of Ukraine "On the Foundations of National Resistance" to enable territorial defense to perform tasks in areas of combat operations (No. 6521); in the second reading and as a general principle.

The Verkhovna Rada expanded the possibilities of territorial defense, allowing TD fighters to perform tasks in areas of military (combat) operations.

At the same time, the bill also proposes to amend part one of Article 20 of the Law "On the Foundations of National Resistance" which establishes the possibility of performing TD tasks outside the areas of hostilities (combat) exclusively.

On Amendments to Article 14 of the Law of Ukraine "On Free of Charge Legal Assistance" (No.7312); as a basis and in general

The draft law stipulates that now the right to free legal aid is also available to:

  • to persons who do not have personal IDs or Ukrainian citizenship IDs – to legal services provided for in para 2 and 3 of part two of Article 13 of this Law, on the issues of establishing in court the facts of legal significance related to the registration and issuance of such documents;
  • to victims of criminal offenses against sexual freedom and sexual inviolability, torture or ill-treatment during hostilities or armed conflict, for legal services provided for in para 2 and 3 of part two of Article 13 of this Law, in criminal proceedings initiated upon the commission of such criminal offenses;

On Amendments to the Law of Ukraine "On E-Communications" to improve the effectiveness of the organization of the work of suppliers of e-communication networks and/or services in the conditions of martial law (№7227); in the second reading and as a general principle.

It is planned to ensure the sustainable functioning of the electronic communication network of the state in martial law and to prevent the interference of hostile forces in its functioning. In case of failure of certain providers of electronic communication networks and/or services to comply with the orders of the national center for operational and technical management of electronic communication networks of Ukraine, such providers will be deprived of the opportunity to carry out activities in the field of electronic communications by the relevant decision of the regulatory body.

On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine on the Prohibition of Political Parties (No.7172-1); in the second reading and as a general principle.

In the law, MPs have already expanded the list of grounds for banning parties. In particular, it is "the promotion or propaganda of the authorities of the aggressor state (the occupying state), its officials, persons and organizations controlled by the aggressor state (the occupying state) and the justification, recognition of the legitimization or public denial of armed aggression against Ukraine, the annexation of the territory of Ukraine by the aggressor state (the occupying state), the violation of the territorial integrity, and of the sovereignty of Ukraine".

Violations of party activities will be monitored by the Ministry of Justice. Cases will be considered urgently within the shortened timeframe.

OPORA has previously analyzed the decision of the National Security and Defense Council on this issue.

The following were also passed as the basis:

  • draft Law on Amendments to the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses to Protect the Honor and Dignity of Citizens and Law Enforcement Officials (No.5050-1):
  • draft Law on Amendments to Article 3 of the Law of Ukraine "On Certain Issues of Debt of Enterprises of the Defense-Industrial Complex that are Members of the State Concern "Ukroboronprom" and on Ensuring Their Sustainable Development" (No.7307) – as a basis;
  • draft Law on Amendments to the Law of Ukraine "On Medicinal Products" on restriction of circulation of medicinal products which production is located on the territory of the Russian Federation or the Republic of Belarus (No.7313) – as a basis.

Thus, the Verkhovna Rada adopted a number of important draft laws in the conditions of war, without any problems with the quorum and with the necessary number of votes. Such performance of the Parliament demonstrates that the Parliament continues to work actively in the field of counteraction and overcoming the consequences of the russian aggression.