New rules on entry into and exit from Crimea, preparations for Independence Day, financial aid for ATO soldiers: new decisions by Government and President

This week, the Government and the President made a number of important decisions. Some of the decisions will influence citizens’ everyday lives, their rights and freedoms.

Decision-maker: the Cabinet.

Who is affected: Ukrainian citizens, students and prospective students entering or exiting the territory of the occupied Crimea, State border guards, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the Cabinet.

What does it change:

• people leaving the territory of the occupied Crimea are allowed to skip self-isolation if they have negative PCR test results for the COVID-19. The tests have to be administered only on the territory controlled by the Ukrainian Government
• students (and prospective students) registered in the occupied Crimea and studying in Ukrainian universities are allowed to enter into and exit from the territory of the occupied Crimea without mandatory self-isolation.

What is right: a permission to skip self-isolation for people with negative PCR test results is reasonable. The Government should have allowed that from the beginning of the lockdown.

What is wrong: permission to skip self-isolation for students and prospective students of the Ukrainian universities, on the other hand, can contribute to the spread of COVID-19.

Decision–maker: the President.

Who is affected: the Cabinet, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Security Service of Ukraine, and local state administrations.

What does it change: the President issued a decree to start preparations for the Independence Day:

• the Cabinet has to organize celebrations for the State Flag Day and the Independence Day of Ukraine, ensure wide media coverage of the festivities and allocate funds to cover expenses for the celebration
• the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has to organize celebratory public events at foreign missions of Ukraine
• local state administrations and the Security Service have to maintain order and safety, guarantee observance of human rights during celebration.

What is wrong:

• the President has no authority to give orders to the Cabinet and even more so to allocate budget funds
• local state administrations are a part of the executive branch, so they should implement policies and decisions made by the Government, not the President. Moreover, the President has nothing to do with labor legislation that regulates celebrations and leisure, so he has no authority to give such orders to local state administrations.

Decision–maker: the Cabinet.

Who is affected: family members of the five ATO soldiers killed in the line of duty, family members of the five ATO soldiers disabled in the line of duty, the Ministry for Veterans Affairs, the Cabinet, and military personnel.

What does it change: the Government has allocated ₴9.2 mln to provide a one-time financial aid to family members of the five ATO fighters killed in the line of duty and to family members of the five ATO fighters disabled because of injury, contusion, disfigurement, or disease in the line of duty.

What is right: members of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other Ukrainian military formations protect the state against the aggression of the Russian Federation. It is an obligation and a duty of the state to support its soldiers and their families, especially those who suffer the gravest losses.

Other news: the Government has decided to denounce some more agreements with the Commonwealth of the Independent States. This time Ukraine withdraws from the agreements On cultural cooperation and On cooperation on training and advanced training of military personnel of border guards of the CIS member states.