For the first time since becoming president, Zelenskyy met with the leaders of all parliamentary factions
For the first time in his seven years in office, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held separate meetings with the leaders of all eight parliamentary factions and groups. In particular, the head of state spoke with Petro Poroshenko, Yulia Tymoshenko, and Yuriy Boyko. Each meeting lasted about 30 minutes.
The meetings were attended by senior officials from the Office of the President and the Verkhovna Rada, though most participants refrained from disclosing details, emphasizing the confidential nature of the discussions.
In addition to the head of state and the leader of the respective political party, three other high-ranking officials were present at each of the 30-minute conversations: Verkhovna Rada Chairman Ruslan Stefanchuk, Head of the Office of the President Kirilo Budanov, and Chairman of the “Servant of the People” faction Davyd Arakhamia.
Who was invited to the meeting
In total, eight members of parliament were invited to one-on-one talks with Volodymyr Zelenskyy:
- Petro Poroshenko (“European Solidarity”);
- Yulia Tymoshenko (“Batkivshchyna”);
- Oleksandra Ustinova (“Holos”);
- Oleg Kulynich (the “Trust” parliamentary group);
- Ihor Palytsia (For the Future parliamentary group);
- Yuriy Boyko (Parliamentary Group “Platform for Life and Peace”);
- Antonina Slavitska (parliamentary group “Restoration of Ukraine”);
- Dmytro Razumkov (the “Smart Politics” inter-factional parliamentary association).
BBC News Ukraine reached out to all participants of the meeting for comment, but most leaders of the factions and groups declined to disclose details of the closed-door discussions, citing confidentiality.
The “Fatherland” party officially confirmed that Yulia Tymoshenko had spoken with the president but refrained from commenting further. Ihor Palytsia, leader of the “For the Future” group, took a similar stance.
Antonina Slavitska, co-chair of the “Restoration of Ukraine” group, explained her diplomatic silence as a desire to preserve political dialogue between the Presidential Administration and parliament.
“This was the first time such a format of communication took place. All parties have constructive intentions. At the same time, it would be wrong to disclose any confidential details from the meeting, as this could hinder the establishment of constructive cooperation between the legislative branch and the president,” the MP emphasized.
Meanwhile, some MPs did agree to discuss their conversation with the president in more detail.
Yuriy Boyko: A conversation about peace and a ceasefire
According to Yuriy Boyko, head of the “Platform for Life and Peace” group, he is satisfied with his conversation with the president.
- The president’s main message: “Parliament must work in harmony.”
- Topics of discussion: The president explained the logic behind the move toward peace, current communication with international partners, and possible timelines for a ceasefire.
- Defense issues: Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Office of the President, who was present at the meeting, actively participated in the discussion of defense matters.
Oleksandra Ustinova: An honest conversation and a list of over 10 questions
Oleksandra Ustinova, a representative of the “Holos” faction, collected questions from all her colleagues in the faction before her visit to Bankova Street. According to her, the conversation was honest and constructive.
“These questions concerned unsigned bills, rotations, demobilization, the course of negotiations… This was my first meeting with the president in this format, so I walked in and said right away that I had many questions I wanted to ask him. He calmly said, ‘Go ahead,’ and, in the end, answered everything,” Ustinova shared, adding that Kirill Budanov also joined the conversation at certain points.
Oleg Kulynich: The Importance of a Unified Stance for Victory
Oleg Kulynich, head of the “Trust” parliamentary group, described the meeting with the head of state as a “very constructive dialogue.” He emphasized the importance of internal unity while the president is active on the foreign policy front.
“From the very beginning of our group’s creation, we have supported the president’s initiatives and Ukraine’s course toward European integration, and we will continue to do so. Right now, the president is working effectively on the foreign policy front, and we must present a united front in parliament. This is very important for victory,” Kulynich noted, expressing hope that this format would continue in the future.
Petro Poroshenko Agrees to Regular Dialogue
The fifth President of Ukraine and leader of the “European Solidarity” faction, Petro Poroshenko, publicly commented on his meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, calling it their first face-to-face conversation in many years. The politician announced this in a post on social media.
According to Poroshenko, these talks were initiated by his political party during a meeting of the Parliament’s Conciliation Council:
- Faction’s initiative: The leader of “ES” emphasized that it was important to him that the president heeded the opposition’s request for direct talks.
- The Rada’s Autonomy: Poroshenko emphasized that in the context of the country’s struggle for survival, a full-fledged dialogue with the Verkhovna Rada and the restoration of its autonomy are critically important.
- Overcoming challenges: The politician noted that the state faces too many complex challenges, which the government and the opposition can overcome only through joint efforts.
“Finally, for the first time in many years, we had a face-to-face meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. It was initiated by ‘European Solidarity’ at the conciliation council, and it is important that the president heard us. At a time when Ukraine is fighting for its survival, dialogue with parliament and the restoration of its autonomy are crucial. There are simply too many challenges that can only be overcome together,” Petro Poroshenko wrote.
The fifth president also added that during the 30-minute talks, the parties agreed to meet in this format regularly to maintain a constant dialogue.
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