MP Yulia Grishina was not allowed into a Verkhovna Rada committee with her dog

Yulia Grishina, a member of parliament and deputy chair of the “Servant of the People” faction, was barred from attending a Verkhovna Rada committee meeting, where she had arrived with her pet. In response to the incident, fellow lawmakers expressed their support for her.

According to Yulia Grishina, she faced the “harsh realities of life” in the Verkhovna Rada. She was not allowed to bring her dog, Michelle, with her to work. Yulia Grishina is a member of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Education, Science, and Innovation. “Harsh rules of life. Michelle wasn’t allowed into the Verkhovna Rada committees. Never mind, we’ll find another place,” the lawmaker noted. 

Yulia Girishina also asked her audience where to keep pets while at work. “Have you ever brought pets to work with you? Not all of them can handle being left home alone during shelling…” Girishina wrote.

Her colleagues and other users responded to the lawmaker’s question in the comments. MP Anastasia Sheptifrats shared that she once went to a Verkhovna Rada committee meeting with her cat: “Once, before the war, I even took my cat to a committee meeting.”

Meanwhile, MP Larysa Bilozir joked, noting that Grishina’s dog shouldn’t visit the Verkhovna Rada to avoid stress: “Maybe that’s for the best, for Michelle! Why should she have to deal with all that stress!”

Other users shared that they’ve repeatedly brought their pets to work and even to court:

• “At our office, even though it’s not really allowed, they let us bring them in, and everyone’s happy.”
• “Yes, I’ve even gone to court with my dog.”

• “Yes, I go to the office with my dogs. Everyone there loves them; they say hello to them first, and then to me.”

The lawmaker shared this on her Facebook blog.

The Verkhovna Rada passed a law to combat bribery of foreign officials.

Earlier, the Verkhovna Rada passed a bill that provides for the imposition of VAT on goods purchased from foreign online stores. The tax is planned to be levied on purchases regardless of their value, though an exception is provided.

The relevant committee of the Verkhovna Rada supported the revised bill amending the Tax and Customs Codes. The proposed changes could affect Ukrainians’ purchases on popular online marketplaces.