The representatives of UKROP, who participated in military operation in eastern Ukraine, have formed the ATO Veterans’ Council of the party. The head of Kryvyi Rih party organization, curator of the “Kryvbas” battalion Mykola Kolesnyk was elected head of the newly formed body.
“What is important is not words, but deeds. The fighters should share experience and apply it in practice. ATO participants should use the party tools to help those in need,” said Kolesnyk.
According to him, the body will help former and current fighters, volunteers from all the regions of Ukraine to exchange experience, as well as to support defenders and their families. First of all, it is about helping the families of killed and missing fighters, and rehabilitating the wounded.
Mykola Kolesnyk has cited an example of the experience of veterans from Kryvyi Rih in the NGO “Battalion of National Defense “Kryvbas”. “They are united not only to defend their rights, but also to help fighters to buy and repair equipment for the frontline, arrange charity auctions and holidays for the children of soldiers in Bukovel, Germany, Italy, Poland, Portugal, etc.
For his part, Bohdan Yaremenko, the Head of Kyiv city organization of UKROP, Chairman of the Board of “Maidan of Foreign Affairs” Fund, has emphasized that the volunteers who stopped the enemy in the east should now not allow Ukraine’s surrender through the legalization of the Minsk agreements. According to him, the authorities have no right to adopt the decision fateful for the country without taking into account the opinion of the defenders.
“They should advise with those who have the knowledge and moral authority. These are, of course, veterans and volunteers – that is those who help not by word, but by deed,” said Bohdan Yaremenko.
The Veterans’ Council will work not only on solving problems of the regional level, but will also closely monitor the actions of the Verkhovna Rada and submit its proposals to the bills and important votes, said the head of the UKROP Secretariat Denys Borysenko.
“We have eight thousand party members, more than two thousand deputies. Our MPs are active in Parliament. We are doing a great job from west to east, from north to south. Therefore, we solve problems not only on the ground, but also bring them to the all-Ukrainian level,” stressed Denys Borysenko.
At the same time, Oleg Kolomoets, co-founder of the NGO “Association of ATO veterans in Zaporizhia”, deputy of Zaporizhia City Council from UKROP, has added that former fighters should take part in the political life of the country: “At the local level, each of us is doing our best. But we understand that we have to go further. That is not only to solve the issues of social benefits, but also to nominate our guys to local councils and Parliament.”
The UKROP representatives are now actively developing proposals for legislative initiatives. According to ATO veteran, activist of UKROP in Kyiv Oleksandr Kikin, they are discussing the bills on accessibility of infrastructure for people with special needs. He has noted that Ukraine should finally create a body that would actually solve the problems of veterans, not only on paper.
“Most of such councils are working only to observe formalities. They tell about statistics and problems, but actually they are at a standstill,” said Oleksandr Kikin.
At the same time, a former fighter, member of the UKROP political council Yevhen Terekhov has noted that the Veterans’ Council should unite the military from all volunteer battalions, regardless of emblems and chevrons: “There will be coordination, and all the regions will work side by side. Today, when ATO participants from different units are trying to quarrel with each other, it is very important to be united.”
