Savchenko: Ukraine needs early parliamentary elections
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 10 June 2016 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Savchenko: Ukraine needs early parliamentary elections, 10 June 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/576901c635.html [accessed 3 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
June 10, 2016
Ukrainian parliamentary deputy Nadia Savchenko (file photo)
Ukrainian military aviator Nadia Savchenko, who was sworn in as a lawmaker in May, says Ukraine needs early parliamentary elections to bring "fresh blood" into the country's politics.
In an interview with the Associated Press on June 10, Savchenko said the "Ukrainian people deserve a better government than they now have."
Savchenko said the government in Kyiv has failed to live up to public expectations raised by the ouster of Ukraine's former pro-Russian government in February 2014.
Savchenko spent nearly two years in Russian captivity before she was released in May and returned to a hero's welcome in Ukraine.She was elected to parliament in 2014 while in custody.
On June 7, Savchenko said she was willing to talk with Russia-backed separatist leaders in eastern Ukraine to try to end the nation's two-year-old conflict.
Savchenko told Ukrainian media that she believes direct peace talks with separatist leaders would be more effective than the current, unproductive talks that have included Russia, Ukraine, France, and Germany.
Based on reporting by AP, Interfax, and TASS
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
