The plenary sitting of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on 11 June began with the oath of office taken by newly elected Member of Parliament Mykola Davydiuk. Yet the political meaning of the day was broader: Parliament worked simultaneously on international support for Ukraine, the country’s path towards the European Union and the quality of its own institutional procedures.
After taking the oath, Mykola Davydiuk officially acquired the powers of a Member of Parliament of Ukraine and joined the Holos parliamentary faction. In ordinary political times, this could be seen as a purely procedural event. During a full-scale war, however, even such a procedure carries a separate meaning: the Verkhovna Rada demonstrates that the constitutional logic of the state is preserved and that parliamentary democracy continues to function.
This plenary day combined several different but interconnected decisions. The first was the renewal of Parliament’s composition through the oath of a new MP. The second was an address to the democratic world on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Constitution of Ukraine. The third was the formal strengthening of Parliament’s role in the negotiation process on Ukraine’s accession to the European Union. The fourth was the improvement of procedures for awarding parliamentary prizes and scholarships.
Parliament worked in four dimensions at once
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Parliamentary composition Mykola Davydiuk took the oath and acquired the powers of a Member of Parliament. |
Constitution The Verkhovna Rada addressed democratic states and international organisations on the 30th anniversary of Ukraine’s Basic Law. |
European Union Parliament strengthened oversight of the negotiation process on Ukraine’s membership of the European Union. |
Institutional quality Procedures for parliamentary prizes and scholarships were improved. |
30 years of the Constitution: an address to the democratic world
One of the central decisions was the adoption of draft Resolution No. 15255 — the Address of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to the parliaments and governments of democratic states, international organisations and their interparliamentary assemblies on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of Ukraine.
In this address, Parliament once again drew the attention of the international community to violations of international law by the Russian Federation, Russia’s war crimes in Ukraine, the destruction of Ukrainian cultural heritage and the deportation of Ukrainian children. In this decision, the Constitution is therefore presented not only as a symbol of statehood, but also as a political boundary between law and aggression, between democracy and an attempt to deprive Ukraine of its future.
The Verkhovna Rada also called for continued comprehensive political, economic, military and humanitarian support for Ukraine. The address refers, in particular, to the United States and NATO initiative PURL, the European Union instrument SAFE, and the need to strengthen sanctions pressure on the Russian Federation, its shadow fleet, energy sector and military-industrial complex.
The 30th anniversary of the Constitution during wartime is not merely a commemorative date. It is a reminder that Ukraine is defending not only its territory, but also the right of citizens to live in a democratic state where public power has constitutional limits and the future cannot be imposed by an aggressor.
EU accession talks: Parliament demands coordination and reporting
Another strategic decision was Resolution No. 15297 on parliamentary support for the negotiation process on Ukraine’s accession to the European Union. Its significance goes beyond diplomacy: it concerns the internal organisation of state policy and the quality of legislative preparation.
The resolution provides that the Cabinet of Ministers must ensure, jointly with the committees of the Verkhovna Rada, coordinated work on draft laws aimed at adapting Ukrainian legislation to European Union law and fulfilling Ukraine’s international legal obligations in the field of European integration.
The Government is also required to inform Parliament about consultations with EU institutions on draft laws, submit quarterly reports on the implementation of the National Programme for the Adaptation of Ukrainian Legislation to the EU acquis, report on the current state of negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the EU and promptly inform Parliament about decisions adopted by European Union bodies concerning Ukraine.
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Government Prepares draft laws, holds consultations with EU institutions and reports on the implementation of the adaptation programme. |
Parliamentary committees Assess draft laws, EU positions and compliance with Ukraine’s international obligations in the field of European integration. |
Parliament Receives information, monitors the pace of adaptation and preserves political responsibility for Ukraine’s European course. |
Parliamentary prizes and scholarships: less formality, stronger procedure
The Verkhovna Rada also adopted a resolution amending the Resolution of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of 4 December 2025 No. 4712-IX on the approval of provisions on prizes and scholarships of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. The purpose is to improve the procedures for awarding prizes and granting parliamentary scholarships.
The changes concern, in particular, the design of diplomas for prize and scholarship recipients, the procedure for public expert discussion of competition works submitted for the Ihor Yukhnovskyi Prize of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, as well as the requirements for nominations of competition works and their authors or teams of co-authors.
At first glance, this may look like a technical decision. For parliamentary culture, however, such decisions matter: the quality of procedures determines trust in institutions. This is especially important when parliamentary awards are intended to support science, education, youth, research and public respect for intellectual contribution.
Regional voice: why this matters for communities
For Ukrainian communities, these parliamentary decisions are not distant national politics. EU accession negotiations mean future changes in local self-government, infrastructure, environmental policy, budget planning and the quality of public services. The constitutional framework means protection of citizens’ rights even during wartime. Parliamentary procedure means that state decisions remain predictable.
Expert opinion of Ruslan Shamrin, deputy of Kryvyi Rih City Council and member of the Standing Commission on the Implementation of the City Development Strategy and Investments: “For communities, it is important that European integration does not remain only a diplomatic formula. It must translate into clear rules, transparent procedures, quality services and real opportunities for territorial development. That is why parliamentary oversight of negotiations with the EU is not only a matter for Kyiv, but also for every community.”
On 11 June, the Verkhovna Rada demonstrated parliamentary work in its full range: from the oath of a new MP to an international address, from EU accession talks to internal procedures. This is the logic of wartime democracy: the state does not suspend its institutions, but requires them to work more precisely, more responsibly and closer to Ukraine’s future membership of the European Union.
