Law on the Reintegration of Donbass Was Adopted and the Russian Federation was Recognized as an Aggressor

Verkhovna Rada adopted as a basis one of the President’s bills on the de-occupation and reintegration of the captured part of Donbass. This bill № 7163 is one of two urgent projects introduced by Poroshenko and called upon to regulate the future status of the occupied territories.

The novelty of the bill was the recognition of Russia as an aggressor, the territory of the certain districts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions as occupied, and ATO – as the defense of the state. “Let’s recognize Russia as an aggressor”, — Verkhovna Rada Speaker Andrey Parubiy called before the vote.

For the draft law on the specifics of state policy and ensuring of state sovereignty in the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions № 7163, without paragraph 1, article 7, in which the Minsk agreements are mentioned, 233 deputies voted.

The draft stipulates that the Rada approves the President's decision to use Armed Forces of Ukraine and other military formations to deter and response to Russian aggression in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. And also to ensure state sovereignty in the temporarily occupied territories of the region.

The boundaries of the temporarily occupied territories are determined by the Ministry of Defense on the proposal of the General Staff. The temporary occupation is illegitimate and does not grant the Russian Federation any territorial rights. For the state of Ukraine, local authorities, residents of Donbas and enterprises, the rights to property and land acquired under the laws of Ukraine are remained.

The purpose of the state policy on securing sovereignty in the CDDLR is their release, restoration of the constitutional system, protection of the rights and freedoms of citizens who suffered from Russian aggression.

In order to contain and response to Russian armed aggression in the Donbass, Armed Forces of  Ukraine, Security Service, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the National Police, other formations are involved. The basis for deterring and repelling the armed aggression of the Russian Federation is article 51 of the UN Charter and the legislation of Ukraine. United headquarter of the AFU supervise Armed Forces and other formations that provide containment and repulse of the Russian armed aggression.

Before the vote, deputies Igor Lutsenko and Yury Levchenko made a commotion near the parliamentary tribune. First Vice Speaker Irina Gerashchenko apologized for behavior of deputies to delegations that were on the balcony of the Verkhovna Rada.