Legalising the carrying of weapons could turn Ukraine into the Wild West.
Following the recent tragedy in Kyiv, criticism has been levelled at initiatives to legalise the carrying of weapons by civilians and at the work of law enforcement agencies
Next, I would like to share my thoughts with you regarding yesterday’s tragedy in Kyiv.
Firstly and most importantly, I am categorically opposed to the statements made by the Minister of Internal Affairs, Ihor Klymenko, regarding the legalisation of the carrying of weapons (including short-barrelled firearms) for self-defence by civilians. As things stand now, and looking ahead to the next 10–15 years, such a decision would do more harm than good. The safety of citizens is the responsibility of the state’s security apparatus. Given the level of psychological resilience among people — and I am referring not only to soldiers returning from the front line, but also to civilians who have been living under constant stress for five years now — legalising the carrying of weapons could turn Ukraine into the Wild West.
Mr Klymenko also stated that there will be no mass checks on gun owners. I don’t quite understand why. I believe that this is precisely what the Ministry of Internal Affairs should be doing, because the issue of permits at service centres has become a hotbed of corruption — certificates are bought like sweets. Licences are being renewed even for those who have been abroad for five years. How is that even possible? I believe there is at least one simple way to check the Ministry of Internal Affairs for corruption risks — to cross-check the databases of everyone who has applied for or renewed a firearms licence against the corresponding data from the State Border Guard Service: were specific individuals within Ukrainian jurisdiction at that time? And, at the very least, for those who did so ‘remotely’ — revoke their permits, and launch an investigation into the officials who issued them.
Moreover, I have a great many questions regarding the actions of the Kyiv police. First and foremost — regarding the two ‘athletes’ in uniform who, instead of neutralising a single armed criminal, simply fled, leaving civilians to fend for themselves, among whom was a child. People were killed and injured as a result of such actions. They should not simply be dismissed, but put behind bars. When did KORD arrive, and how quickly did they act? This is also a question that requires serious scrutiny.
This specific example, unfortunately, has demonstrated an extremely low level of professionalism among Kyiv’s law enforcement officers. And what, then, is happening outside the capital? What is the situation in regional and district centres? And I am not even mentioning smaller communities.
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