Oleksandr Korniienko: Democracy in time of war should not suffer or be questioned, but rather be protected even more

Press Service of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine
23 February 2023, 19:50


“There is no legislation on how to act in time of war. This was one of the first challenges the Parliament of Ukraine faced last year. Therefore, our task was to adapt the current legislation to the conditions of war,” said Oleksandr Korniienko, the First Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, during the Summit for Democracy Year of Action webinar.

The First Vice Speaker emphasized that the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has been actively working and continues to make important decisions: both for the state and for the approximation to European standards. “No matter what the security situation is, the Parliament of Ukraine has always stood by the fact that all processes are carried out in accordance with the Constitution and laws of Ukraine,” said Oleksandr Korniienko.

In addition, he noted that democracy should not suffer or be questioned during the war, but rather be further protected: “And we work according to this principle.”

“Against the backdrop of russia’s full-scale military invasion, Ukraine is facing a major challenge: how to preserve the sovereignty and independence of our country without losing itself as a democracy,” Oleksandr Korniienko emphasized.

The First Vice Speaker noted that democracy is one of the main priorities of every country and the world, and new challenges require urgent collective action to be properly addressed.

“The first Summit for Democracy took place in 2021, before the full-scale offensive, and now we are talking about it in the new conditions. We used to discuss threats in peacetime, but the situation has changed,” Oleksandr Korniienko said.

In conclusion, the First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine expressed gratitude to international partners, in particular, the United States of America, for their powerful assistance in the fight against russian aggression, “which reflects the desire of the international community and the global coalition to support Ukraine”.

For reference. During the first Summit for Democracy in 2021, approximately one hundred governments made nearly 750 commitments to promote democracy, fight corruption, and counter authoritarianism.

This year’s event aims to showcase the progress made by partners and organize collective action to address new challenges to democracy.