Ukrainian lawmakers scuffle during a parliament session of Verkhovna Rada, the Ukrainian parliament, in Kiev, Ukraine, Thursday, Oct. 5, 2017. The parliament was forced to adjourn its session amid scuffles over hotly-disputed bills regarding the rebel-controlled eastern territories. (AP Photo/Andrew Kravchenko)
October 05, 2017 - 11:49 AM
KIEV, Ukraine - The Ukrainian parliament has been forced to adjourn its session amid scuffles over hotly-disputed bills regarding the rebel-controlled eastern territories.
The bills submitted by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko have drawn fierce criticism from some lawmakers, including the Samopomich (Self Reliance) party.
Opponents of the bills, arguing that they don't assert Ukraine's control of the eastern territories strongly enough, swarmed the speaker's platform, causing the session to be adjourned until Friday.
The bills refer to elements of the 2015 peace deal for eastern Ukraine brokered by France and Germany.
The agreement signed in the Belarusian capital Minsk has helped reduce fighting between Russia-backed separatists and Ukrainian troops, but clashes have continued and efforts to reach a political settlement have stalled. Over 10,000 people have been killed in fighting since April 2014.
News from © The Associated Press, 2017