Poroshenko calls for ban on Telegram after Parubiy's killing
Ukrainian MP and leader of the European Solidarity party Petro Poroshenko addressed the Verkhovna Rada with an appeal to immediately ban the Telegram messenger, which he said is being used by Russian intelligence services to coordinate terrorist actions against Ukraine, according to a statement on the party's website.
From the parliamentary rostrum, Poroshenko thanked lawmakers who traveled to Lviv for the farewell ceremony for Andriy Parubiy, calling him "a true hero" and "a man who united parliament."
"He was the best Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada. And even in death, he united all of us," Poroshenko said.
The politician stressed that Parubiy's killing was organized via Telegram and that the platform is currently being used to create a network of terrorist activity in Ukraine.
"It is our matter of honor to ban Telegram in Ukraine, here and now," he declared.
Poroshenko also urged Ukrainians to continue Parubiy's mission – defending independence, the army, the language, and the faith – and to preserve unity, which he said is the key to victory over the enemy.