Cabinet of ministers asks Rada to cut short recess to vote on bills needed for western financing

The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has asked the Verkhovna Rada to shorten its recess by one day and return to work on October 12 — to vote on bills required to secure western financing.

This was announced by Prime Minister Serhiy Koretsky in an interview with Ukrainian media.

On September 19, the Rada went on recess until October 13. Koretsky did not specify which bills exactly the government is asking lawmakers to support.

The day before, at a meeting of the “Ukrainian Donor Platform” in Brussels, attended by Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko, European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos also called on Kyiv to accelerate reforms in order to receive financing. According to media present at the event, she mentioned the creation of “an effective judicial system, the rule of law, and an anti-corruption system” — apparently referring to the so-called “Kvasha-Kos” package.

The key question in Ukrainian politics right now is whether Europe will demand, as a condition for allocating funds to finance the budget deficit, that the Rada pass and President Volodymyr Zelensky sign the “Kvasha-Kos” package of laws. These laws would remove law enforcement bodies from presidential control through the selection of personnel via competitive processes in which “international experts” have the deciding vote.