The President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky called on the Verkhovna Rada (the Ukrainian Parliament) to meet "urgently" in the near future and make a number of important decisions, in particular, to consider the draft law on depriving traitors of state awards.
"Anyone who serves Putin or justifies his war or helps evil does not deserve to keep everything that the Ukrainian state celebrated him or her with. Traitors who fled to Russia after February 24. Collaborators who work for the war. All criminals who joined the service of the Russian state. They should be deprived of any titles and awards in Ukraine," Zelensky emphasized in his address.
The President noted that the deprivation of awards should be "not only declarative, but also to record how Ukraine treats such a person." He called on the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to meet to consider this issue in the near future.
Zelensky initiated the relevant bill on July 16. It provides for amendments to the Criminal Code of Ukraine, the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine and other legislative acts regarding the deprivation of state awards for popularizing or propagandizing the aggressor state or committing other illegal actions against Ukraine.
This applies to those who have received state awards of Ukraine, in particular the title of Hero of Ukraine, Order of Merit, etc.
Zelensky also emphasized that Ukrainian military personnel participating in the Kursk operation and possibly participating in other operations on the territory of Russia should receive all payments and preferences. This must be guaranteed at the legislative level.
He also raised the issue of citizenship of foreigners fighting on the side of Ukraine. In his opinion, they and their relatives deserve to be citizens of Ukraine. He also called for settling the issue of trophy weapons.