Member of Parliament of Ukraine and First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Finance, Tax and Customs Policy, Yaroslav Zheleznyak, in an interview with RBC-Ukraine as part of the 'Do Not Interrupt' project with Volodymyr Kurenny, openly stated his intention to continue his political activities. According to him, work on forming a team and preparing a list of legislative initiatives has already been launched. The MP emphasized that the start of a full-fledged political process in the country directly depends on the dynamics of the security situation and the resolution of a number of key organizational issues related to the upcoming elections.
'I have a great team that I want to see'
Answering a journalist's direct question about rumors surrounding the possible creation of his own political project, Zheleznyak admitted that the phrase 'political project' is not to his liking, but he did not hide his ambitions regarding his future political life. 'Of course, there is. I have many bill proposals, I have many plans, I have a great team that I want to see,' the MP stated. He also noted that openly expressing a desire to work in politics should not be perceived by society as something negative. In his conviction, the activities of deputies, ministers, and even the president should be evaluated as the practical work of state-hired managers from whom society has the right to demand transparency, efficiency, and compliance with given promises.
Elections without a legislative framework: 23 comments and zero changes
Zheleznyak expressed confidence that the resumption of a full-fledged political process in Ukraine is possible exclusively upon stabilization of the security situation. At the same time, he pointed to a significant gap between frequent public discussions of the election topic at the government level and the actual absence of the necessary legislative and technical infrastructure. 'While we have President Zelenskyy, I counted, I think, recently 23 times he commented on the issue of elections, but the legislation has not changed at all. So, the answer to a simple question: how our people will vote — people who are currently abroad, internally displaced persons, a million military personnel — we do not have,' the MP explained. Thus, according to his assessment, the key organizational and legal mechanisms for voting for a significant portion of voters have still not been developed.
The 'Golos' party under martial law
Commenting on the activities of the 'Golos' political party, of which Zheleznyak is a member, the MP reminded that under the current martial law, the activities of all political parties in the country are significantly restricted or actually halted in accordance with legislative requirements. Nevertheless, according to him, the parliamentary faction continues its work and ensures the support of necessary state initiatives. Zheleznyak also noted that some of his colleagues holding ideological views might want to continue their political careers in the future, while others may decide not to run for the next convocation, which is an absolutely normal process.
Volodymyr Tsabel's example and a broader context
As an illustration of the different career trajectories of former faction colleagues, Zheleznyak cited the example of Volodymyr Tsabel, who gave up his parliamentary mandate to work in miltech to help the state. The MP emphasized that each of his colleagues has the right to independently determine their further path. The broader context also deserves special attention: recently, Volodymyr Zelenskyy publicly stated that he will run for president if elections take place under ongoing war conditions. The head of state's statement, along with Zheleznyak's remarks, forms a picture that the issue of preparation for the electoral cycle is gradually moving from the plane of purely public discussions to the plane of practical work on teams, programs, and the legislative framework.
