Government and Politics of Ukraine

Government Type

republic

Administrative Divisions

24 oblasti (singular - oblast'), 1 autonomous republic* (avtomnaya respublika), and 2 municipalities (mista, singular - misto) with oblast status**; Cherkas'ka (Cherkasy), Chernihivs'ka (Chernihiv), Chernivets'ka (Chernivtsi), Dnipropetrovs'ka (Dnipropetrovs'k), Donets'ka (Donets'k), Ivano-Frankivs'ka (Ivano-Frankivs'k), Kharkivs'ka (Kharkiv), Khersons'ka (Kherson), Khmel'nyts'ka (Khmel'nyts'kyy), Kirovohrads'ka (Kirovohrad), Kyyiv**, Kyyivs'ka (Kiev), Luhans'ka (Luhans'k), L'vivs'ka (L'viv), Mykolayivs'ka (Mykolayiv), Odes'ka (Odesa), Poltavs'ka (Poltava), Avtonomna Respublika Krym* (Simferopol'), Rivnens'ka (Rivne), Sevastopol'**, Sums'ka (Sumy), Ternopil's'ka (Ternopil'), Vinnyts'ka (Vinnytsya), Volyns'ka (Luts'k), Zakarpats'ka (Uzhhorod), Zaporiz'ka (Zaporizhzhya), Zhytomyrs'ka (Zhytomyr); note - when using a place name with an adjectival ending ""s'ka"" or ""z'ka,"" the word Oblast' should be added to the place name

Legal System

based on civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Ukraine dual citizenship recognized: no residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Executive Branch

chief of state: President Volodymyr ZELENSKYY (since 20 May 2019) head of government: Prime Minister Denys SHMYHAL (since 4 March 2020) cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and approved by the Verkhovna Rada (parliament); the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Defense are nominated by the president note: there is also a National Security and Defense Council (NSDC), originally established in 1992; the NSDC is tasked with developing national security policy on domestic and international matters and advising the president; a Presidential Office supports the president by helping draft presidential decrees and providing broader policy guidance elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); prime minister nominated by the parliamentary majority and confirmed by the Verkhovna Rada election results: Volodymyr ZELENSKYY elected president in the second round held on 21 April 2019; percent of vote - Volodymyr ZELENSKYY 73.2%, Petro POROSHENKO 24.5%; note - Zelenskyy, a former comedian and television personality, defeated the incumbent Petro POROSHENKO by a wide margin; presidential elections scheduled for March 2024 were suspended under martial law declared following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022

Legislative Branch

unicameral Supreme Council or Verkhovna Rada (450 seats; members are elected through a mixed electoral system, with half of the seats filled by proportional representation from party lists and half from single-member constituencies; members serve five-year terms) elections: last held on 21 July 2019 (next scheduled elections have been postponed due to the ongoing war with Russia, which began with the full-scale invasion in February 2022; martial law remains in effect and prohibits the holding of elections) election results: percent of vote by party in 2019 - Servant of the People 43.2%, Opposition Platform - For Life 13.1%, Fatherland 8.2%, European Solidarity 8.1%, Voice 5.8%, other 21.6%; seats by party - Servant of the People 254, Opposition Platform - For Life 43, Fatherland 26, European Solidarity 25, Voice 20, independent and other 82 note: the Verkhovna Rada has continued to function during the Russian invasion that began in February 2022, meeting under wartime conditions to pass emergency legislation and approve continued martial law extensions. The Opposition Platform - For Life, previously led by Viktor Medvedchuk, was banned in 2022 following his detention on treason charges, reducing the effective number of active parliamentary factions. Parliamentary elections that would otherwise have been due in 2024 remain suspended for the duration of martial law.

Judicial Branch

Supreme Court; Constitutional Court

Political Parties

Communist Party of Ukraine or CPU [Petro SYMONENKO]; Fatherland Party (Batkivshchyna) [Yuliya TYMOSHENKO]; Lytyvn-led People's Bloc group [Ihor SHAROV]; Our Ukraine [Viktor YUSHCHENKO]; Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs [Anatoliy KINAKH]; People's Movement of Ukraine (Rukh) [Borys TARASYUK]; People's Party [Volodymyr LYTVYN]; People's Trust group [Anton KISSE]; PORA! (It's Time!) party [Vladyslav KASKIV]; Progressive Socialist Party [Natalya VITRENKO]; Reforms and Order Party [Viktor PYNZENYK]; Party of Regions [Viktor YANUKOVYCH]; Republican Party [Yuriy BOYKO]; Socialist Party of Ukraine or SPU [Oleksandr MOROZ, chairman]; Ukrainian People's Party [Yuriy KOSTENKO]; United Social Democratic Party [Viktor MEDVEDCHUK]; United Ukraine [Bohdan HUBSKYY]; Vidrodzhennya (Revival) [Anton KISSE]

Head of State

President Volodymyr ZELENSKYY

Head of Government

Prime Minister Denys SHMYHAL

Cabinet

Cabinet of Ministers selected by the prime minister; the only exceptions are the foreign and defense ministers, who are chosen by the presiden

Elections

last held on 21 July 2019 (next scheduled elections have been postponed due to the ongoing war with Russia, which began with the full-scale invasion in February 2022; martial law remains in effect and prohibits the holding of elections)

Election Results

percent of vote by party in 2019 - Servant of the People 43.2%, Opposition Platform - For Life 13.1%, Fatherland 8.2%, European Solidarity 8.1%, Voice 5.8%, other 21.6%; seats by party - Servant of the People 254, Opposition Platform - For Life 43, Fatherland 26, European Solidarity 25, Voice 20, independent and other 82 note: the Verkhovna Rada has continued to function during the Russian invasion that began in February 2022, meeting under wartime conditions to pass emergency legislation and approve continued martial law extensions. The Opposition Platform - For Life, previously led by Viktor Medvedchuk, was banned in 2022 following his detention on treason charges, reducing the effective number of active parliamentary factions. Parliamentary elections that would otherwise have been due in 2024 remain suspended for the duration of martial law.

Constitution

adopted 28 June 1996

Independence

24 August 1991 (from the Soviet Union)

National Holiday

Independence Day, 24 August (1991); the date of 22 January (1918), the day Ukraine first declared its independence (from Soviet Russia), is now celebrated as Unity Day

International Organization Participation

BSEC, CE, CEI, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, GUUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MONUC, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNMOVIC, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer), ZC

Diplomatic Representation in the U.S.

chief of mission: Ambassador Oleh V. SHAMSHUR chancery: 3350 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 333-0606 FAX: [1] (202) 333-0817 consulate(s) general: Chicago, New York

U.S. Diplomatic Representation

chief of mission: Ambassador John E. HERBST embassy: 10 Yuriia Kotsiubynskoho, 04053 Kiev mailing address: 5850 Kiev Place, Washington, DC 20521-5850 telephone: [380] (44) 490-4000 FAX: [380] (44) 490-4085

Capital City

Kyiv (Kiev is the transliteration from Russian) note: pronounced KAY-yiv

Location

50 26 N, 30 31 E

Time Difference

UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

History

the name is associated with that of Kyi, who along with his brothers Shchek and Khoryv, and their sister Lybid, are the legendary founders of the medieval city of Kyiv; Kyi being the eldest brother, the city was named after him

You need a valid passport to enter Ukraine. If you are a U.S. citizen, you do not need to have a Ukrainian visa as long as you will be in Ukraine for fewer than 90 days within a 180-day period for tourism. You need a visa or valid Ukrainian residency permit for all stays longer than 90 days. You cannot get a Ukrainian visa at the airport or at the border. If you need a visa, please get it in advance at a Ukrainian Embassy or Consulate. Contact information for Ukrainian embassies and consulates outside of the United States is available on the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs website. Check your visa carefully so that you know the validity period. You are responsible for knowing the rules for the type of visa you have. Sometimes U.S. citizens try to come to Ukraine before their visa allows. Remember, in Ukraine the date is written day-month-year. For example, a visa issued on 01/05/13 is good from May 1, 2013, NOT from January 5, 2013. If you come to Ukraine before your visa allows, you can be stopped at the border, not allowed to enter Ukraine, and required to return to your point of origin at your own expense. The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv cannot stop this from happening. If you enter Ukraine without needing a visa (meaning you will be in Ukraine for fewer than 90 days within a 180-day period), you are automatically registered at the border for 90 days. Extensions of stay beyond 90 days are rarely authorized. To apply for an extension, talk to your local office of the Ukrainian State Department of Citizenship, Immigration, and Registration (officially VGIFRO, but still referred to almost universally by its old acronym, “OVIR”) at least three work days before your initial registration expires. Although three days is a minimum, it is in your interest to contact OVIR earlier. Most cities will have several OVIR offices. If you are given an extension, you will be allowed to stay in Ukraine until your new registration expires; however, if you leave Ukraine, you may have to wait 180 days to come back without a visa. If you do not get an extension, you must leave the country and cannot come back until 180 days after your initial entry into Ukraine. If you enter Ukraine on a long-term (“D”) visa, you must apply with OVIR for a residency permit within 45 days from your entry date. Once you have the residency permit you can reside in Ukraine for as long as it remains valid. To enter and exit the country, you will need your un-expired residency permit and a valid passport. For more details regarding Ukrainian visas and registration procedures, please contact the nearest Embassy of Ukraine or consulate abroad, or the nearest OVIR office within Ukraine. If you are going to visit Russia from Ukraine, remember you will also need a Russian visa. The Consular Section of the Russian Embassy in Ukraine is located at Prospekt Kutuzova 8, tel.: (380-44) 284-6816, fax: 284-7936, or at general@rucons.kiev.ua. For more details, review Country Specific Information for the Russian Federation. Please note that it currently takes at least two weeks for American citizens to receive Russian visas in Kyiv. The U.S. Embassy cannot intervene to expedite Russian visa issuance. Ukrainian law requires visitors to have valid health insurance. More information on medical insurance is below. Visit the Embassy of Ukraine’s website for the most current visa information. Also, see the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.

Military Branches

Ground Forces, Naval Forces, Air Forces

Service Age and Obligation

18-25 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation is 12 months for Army and Air Force, 18 months for Navy