Last Sunday, 20 March, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s announced that the National Security and Defence Council had suspended 11 Ukrainian political parties for their alleged links to Russia. Read the statement of Heinz Bierbaum, President of the Party of the European Left.
“It is with great dismay that we observe the recent blacklisting of 11 opposition parties in Ukraine, the majority of which are left-wing. This is a continuation to the ban on communist parties that has been in place since 2015 in the country.
The Party of the European Left wants to firmly denounce this ban, which poses a direct threat to the freedom of speech in the country. This can have immense consequences for democracy in Ukraine. We continue the call for the de-escalation of the conflict and support organisations and forces working for peace and stability in Ukraine and Russia.
At the same time, we remain committed to our opposition against the rise of far-right paramilitary groups in Ukraine and their effect on the country’s political landscape.”
Originally published on the website of the Party of the European Left.