In the middle of the ongoing Russian invasion, Ukraine’s National Security as well as Defense Council has reportedly prohibited the political activities of eleven opposition parties with ties to Russia and has taken the added step to combine the several nationwide TV networks in the country under one platform.
The largest bloc to be targeted is the Opposition Platform for Life, which holds 44 out of 450 seats in the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s Parliament, and forms the second-largest bloc in the legislature, Aljazeera advised. Many participants are from the Russian-speaking eastern region of Ukraine, according to Radio Free Europe.
In his overnight announcement Sunday, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed, “The activities of those politicians aimed at division or collusion will not succeed, but will receive a harsh response.” Ukraine’s federal government enforced martial law after the Russian invasion, and the partisan constraints will continue for the period. The Justice Ministry of Ukraine will likely implement the decision, Zelensky stated.
Much less significant parties to be suspended consist of Opposition Bloc, Party of Sharia, Ours, Left Opposition, Union of Left Forces, State, Progressive Socialist Party of Ukraine, Socialist event Ukraine, Socialists, and also Vladimir Saldo Bloc.
Last week, Zelensky additionally pulled three tv networks owned by regional oligarchs that he claimed pitched Moscow-funded content that was hostile to Ukraine’s ongoing struggle. He stated their coverage is “propaganda financed by the aggressor country that undermines Ukraine on its way” to incorporation right into the European Union and the NATO alliance, Zelensky tweeted Wednesday. The media outlets had actually been implicated of propping up the pro-Russia OPFL. The EU disagreed with this action, with its foreign policy head Josep Borrell composing in a statement Wednesday: “Given the scale of disinformation campaigns affecting Ukraine including from abroad, this should not come at the expense of freedom of media.”
Along with prohibiting Russian-tied factions from operating, Zelensky authorized a decree that incorporates all national television channels into a single platform, according to a translation of a statement from his office, Reuters reported. The statement stated that a “unified information policy” under martial law is necessary given the war-time scenarios.
Privately-owned Ukrainian media businesses have apparently been able to maintain operations since the Russian strikes started last month.
H/T National Review
