The European Solidarity parliamentary faction demands the immediate convening of a Verkhovna Rada session to form a full Cabinet of Ministers, stated Member of Parliament (MP) and party leader Petro Poroshenko.
"Yesterday, parliament experienced a strange day that was supposed to give the country answers, but left only questions instead. The most important of them is: how can a country entering its fifth year of full-scale war afford to remain without a legally appointed Minister of Defense, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Head of the Security Service of Ukraine?" Poroshenko said in a video address on Friday.
According to him, such positions cannot operate under an "acting" status nor be "guided by telephone law or verbal instructions."
"Ukraine today faces no shortage of individuals capable of leading the Ministry of Defense. Public figures who enjoy the trust of the military, volunteers, and millions of Ukrainians – such as General Zaluzhny, Minister Fedorov, General Drapaty, and many others – have long emerged. However, the state must stop postponing decisions essential for managing the country during war. These decisions must be absolutely, impeccably legitimate," the party leader stated.
The politician also noted that several crucial decisions remain pending, including measures to strengthen national defense, improve the mobilization system, and fulfill European integration commitments, such as rebooting the State Bureau of Investigation.
Poroshenko called it unacceptable for "parliament to decide, starting today, to walk away from work and go on recess before fully forming the government."
"We, the European Solidarity faction, demand that Verkhovna Rada Chairman Stefanchuk immediately convene an extraordinary plenary session to listen to citizens protesting on the streets with demands directed at MPs. The President of Ukraine must submit nominations to parliament for the Minister of Defense, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Head of the Security Service of Ukraine. These candidates must command respect, authority, and public trust. War takes no recess: Russian missiles do not delay strikes until August, so neither the state nor parliament should take breaks – if only for the sake of the fighting army, which gets no recess," he said.
As reported, according to the calendar of the tenth session of the Verkhovna Rada, following the completion of July plenary meetings, MPs are scheduled in August to work in committees, factions, and with voters, with the next plenary week beginning August 18. The Law "On the Legal Regime of Martial Law" explicitly establishes that the Verkhovna Rada operates in continuous session mode during martial law.
Currently, following the formation of the new Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, the positions of Minister of Defense and Minister of Foreign Affairs remain vacant.
