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Ukrainian Member of Parliament from the ruling Servant of the People Party's parliamentary faction Yevhenia Kravchuk says a bill on collaboration, which has been tabled in parliament, foresees punishment for assisting in Russian aggression.

At the same time, she said, each case of possible collaboration should be considered separately.

"As for the teachers [promoting Russia's disinformation in the occupied parts of Ukraine] – they were simply put in such conditions. At the same time, if a school principal organizes some kind of school assembly and claims that Ukrainian soldiers are shooting to kill, this is one thing. And if you just teach chemistry or physics, it's a different thing. This bill is not about a doctor, teacher or driver," she told the RBC Ukraine news agency.

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Read alsoPro-Russian MP posts Ukraine's map without Crimea, with 'LPR/DPR' (Screenshot)The lawmaker says the bill also incorporates a clause on punishment for information warfare cooperation with the aggressor and joint political events. With a broad interpretation of the provision, the activities of some Ukrainian political parties and TV channels may fall under it. According to Kravchuk, a group of Ukrainian legislators who, for example, will go to the Russia-occupied cities of Donetsk or Simferopol and hold a joint conference with local 'authorities' may be held liable under the bill.

Yet, she says, the final wording of the bill will hardly be able to preserve the provision that outlaws religious organizations if their "authorized persons" are guilty of collaboration. However, Kravchuk considers it necessary to ban the activities of political parties and their leaders if they commit crime punishable under the law.

Bill on collaboration: What is known

  • In late February, the bill on collaboration was registered in the Verkhovna Rada.
  • The bill stipulates that activities are considered to be an act of collaboration when a citizen of Ukraine denies in public that there is armed aggression against Ukraine and part of the territory of Ukraine is temporarily occupied, or when she or he publicly calls for support of decisions and/or actions by the aggressor state, armed formations and/or the occupying administration of the aggressor state; cooperates with the aggressor state, armed formations and/or the occupying administration of the aggressor state; does not recognize Ukraine's sovereignty over the temporarily occupied territories.
  • The punishment will be a ban on holding certain public posts or being engaged in certain activities for a period of 10 to 15 years.