Ukrainian President Zelensky Proposes Law to Revoke Awards from 'Traitors'

President Volodymyr Zelensky. (Source: President.gov.ua)

JAKARTA - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged parliament on Tuesday to pass a law that would establish a procedure for stripping awards, including the country's highest honor, of "traitors."

In his evening video address, Zelensky did not name the individuals who would be subject to the proposed law to change Ukraine's criminal code.

He said the measure aimed to "restore justice" by targeting those who "as a result of their actions, have lost the right to earn respect from Ukrainian citizens."

"A legal mechanism is needed to effectively strip all Ukrainian state awards and honorary titles from such individuals," he said, according to Reuters on July 17.

"They deserve only one 'title' - traitor. And their 'reward' is accountability to Ukraine and our people for everything they did against Ukraine, against our country, and against our independence," he said.

He added that the law would apply to all state awards, including the country's highest award, the Hero of Ukraine.

It is known that since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, hundreds of Ukrainian citizens have been accused of collaborating with Moscow, including a number of prominent figures.

They include Viktor Medvedchuk, a pro-Kremlin businessman and chief of staff to former President Leonid Kuchma, who was sent to Russia after being included in a mass prisoner swap in September 2022.

Any law could also apply to former Prime Minister Mykola Azarov, who fled Ukraine during the 2014 popular uprising that ousted President Viktor Yanukovych from power, and was later convicted in absentia of treason.