Last Tuesday, I was highly honoured to be elected as the head of the Opposition Bloc party's faction in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

I want to assure both my colleagues and our fellow party members and supporters that I will do everything to justify this high credit of confidence.

I would also like to comment on the events that accompanied my election, namely, the expulsion of two MPs from the faction.

I would like to say that the Opposition Bloc is not just two or even forty-three MPs. The Opposition Bloc, first, means thousands of people's deputies at all levels across the country. These are tens of thousands of party members and millions of our voters and supporters. Therefore, the departure of several deputies from the faction is not a tragedy for the political force.

Indeed, it is very difficult to part with people with whom a certain stage of your life has passed, especially the one that is as challenging as the last four years. However, I reiterate that no tragedy has happened for the Opposition Bloc political party.

There is no crisis and no split in the party. All the reasons that could lead to a crisis were eliminated on Tuesday.

At the same time, I want to assure you that the strategic goals of our party remain unchanged: our goal is a successful Ukraine. For success of our country, it is necessary to stop the war and achieve a reliable, lasting peace, to restore the industries and develop the economy, to do everything to improve the well-being of every Ukrainian citizen, as well as to protect our traditional values and canonical Orthodoxy.

I can promise you only one, but the key change – that we will never again make any compromises with those currently in power, we will not participate in any rigged agreements with the President or the government, and we will clearly and firmly protect the interests of our citizens.

Further plans of the Opposition Bloc will be discussed at the congress, which will be held in two stages.

In December, at the first stage of the congress, we will discuss the strategy of the unification process with all the sound and progressive opposition political forces of Ukraine and will open the doors for broad consolidation. The second stage will be held in January, and then we will nominate our presidential candidate there. We have a large number of experienced leaders, industrialists, businesspersons and leaders of local governments, and we will put forward the most worthy candidate.