The Ukrainian parliament will be able to consider this week the issue of the early termination of the deputy powers of Pavlo Lebedev, who was appointed as Ukraine's defense minister, Parliament Speaker Volodymyr Rybak has said.

"[The parliament] has received a statement [from Lebedev] with a request that it terminate his deputy powers. I sent it to committee. Please consider it today or tomorrow, and we will be able to make a decision this week," he said at a briefing after a meeting of the conciliatory council of the leaders of parliamentary factions and committees on Monday.

As reported, on December 24, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych dismissed Dmytro Salamatin as defense minister and appointed Lebedev to this post. Lebedev is a financier and was elected an MP of the seventh convocation in constituency No. 224 (Sevastopol).