Ukraine Defense Council ceases activity of several political parties

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The National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (NSDC) has halted the activity of a number of political parties, including the Opposition Platform - For Life, and the cessation of activities, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, will be in effect for the period of martial law in the country.

"The NSDC decided, given the full-scale war and the ties of some political structures with this state, to suspend any activity of a number of political parties for the period of martial law," the UNIAN Ukrainian news agency said Sunday.

The parties whose activities will be "put on hold" are the aforementioned Opposition Platform - For Life, the Party of Shariy, Nashi, the Opposition Bloc, the Union of Leftists, Derzhava, the Progressive Socialist Party of Ukraine, the Socialist Party of Ukraine, and the Volodymyr Saldo Bloc. What the parties in question have in common is the fact that they are predominantly leftist, and the suspension of their activities could just be part of the Kiev regime's attempts at silencing the left-wing opposition under the pretext of the crisis currently ongoing in the country.

The Ukrainian news agency also reported that Kiev instructed its justice ministry to take measures that would "immediately" stop the activities of the above-listed political forces.

The Ukrainian court had allowed earlier this month the arrest of Opposition Platform - For Life Party political council chairman Viktor Medvedchuk as part of its campaign to suppress the opposition.

Ukrainian media had reported earlier this week that the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Kiev's parliament, had approved the extension of martial law in the country until late April, saying the legislation would be in effect for 30 more days starting March 26.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had declared martial law the same day as the Russian special military operation kicked off in the country, implementing a state of submission to military authority in times of tension and conflict.

Russia's said operation took place for several reasons, including NATO's eastward expansion. Other reasons were the Ukrainian shelling of Donbass and the killing of the people of the Donetsk People's Republic and Lugansk People's Republic, in addition to Moscow wanting to "denazify" and demilitarize Ukraine.

Silencing the opposition was not only an occurrence in Ukraine since the beginning of Moscow's operation, as it was prominent in the West, as it implemented restrictive measures on Russian officials, entities, and media outlets, such as RT and Sputnik.

The campaign also saw an escalation in the anti-Russian narrative and rampant Russophobia in Western media and among internet users.