Kira Rudik
MP
Кіра Рудик
Rudik in 2023
People's Deputy of Ukraine
Assumed office
29 August 2019
Leader of the Holos party
Assumed office
12 March 2020
Preceded bySvyatoslav Vakarchuk
Personal details
Born (1985-10-14) 14 October 1985
Uzhhorod, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union (now Ukraine)
Political partyHolos
EducationNational University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy

Kira Oleksandrivna Rudik[1] Ukrainian: Кіра Олександрівна Рудик; born 14 October 1985)[2] is a Member of the Ukrainian Parliament of the 9th convocation, Leader of the Liberal Party Holos, Vice President of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE). Prior to politics she worked in the Ukrainian and American IT industries. She was a member of the board of the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine and the IT Association of Ukraine.[3]

Childhood and education

Kira Rudik was born on October 14th, 1985 in Uzhgorod. In 2002, she graduated from school No. 1 in Uzhgorod with an in-depth study of the English language. While studying at school, she participated in Olympiads in mathematics, physics, chemistry, the Ukrainian language and other subjects. Graduated from a music school with two majors: piano and percussion instruments.

In 2008, she obtained a Master's degree at the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, defending her thesis on the topic "Automated agent-oriented systems in control systems and technologies".[3]

A 2018 graduate of the Stanford Women's Executive Program.

Career and business

In 2005, in the third year of the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, Kira started working in the IT field at Software MacKiev. Since 2007, she has tested software at TAIN Ukraine.[3] She worked as a manager of several IT projects, in particular American MiMedia (2010—2013) and TechTeamLabs (2013—2016).

Since 2016, she has been the chief operating officer of Ring Ukraine.[4] In 3 years, under her leadership, the company increased its staff in Ukraine from ten to a thousand employees with offices in three cities, and the company was considered the most innovative development office in Ukraine. In 2018, Ring was sold to Amazon for $1 billion, making it the second-largest asset purchase in Amazon's history.[5][6]

Political activity

In the 2019 Ukrainian parliamentary election, Kira Rudik was elected as a Member of the Ukrainian Parliament of the IX convocation under the third number on the electoral list of the Holos. In Parliament, she became the first deputy head of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Committee on Digital Transformation.[7] She is a co-chairperson of the group on inter-parliamentary relations with Singapore and a Member of the inter-factional association “Equal Opportunities”, which aims to ensure gender equality.

As a member of parliament, Rudik continues to support the IT industry and opposes tax increases for IT professionals.[8][9] In addition, she is a co-author of a number of draft laws[10] In the Committee on Digital Transformation, she has been working on such projects as the switching to the "Paperless" mode in governance; introduction of the world's first digital passports; "state in a smartphone" project implying digitalization of public services and harmonization of legislation with the EU space; introduction of public electronic registers.

In addition, she is a co-author of a number of draft laws in the field of economy, social protection, animal protection.

On December 12, 2019, Rudik became the co-chair of the Humane Country Association, created on the initiative of the UAnimals to protect animals from cruelty.[11] As part of work at Humane Country, she is engaged in advocacy and promotion of laws regarding the humane treatment of animals. In particular, they established by law the responsibility for the abuse of animals, and banned fireworks. Next up is the ban on the use of animals in circuses and dolphinariums.

On March 11, 2020, the congress of the Holos party elected Kira as the head of the party. Before that, Sviatoslav Vakarchuk was the head of the party. In July 2020, Kira Rudik announced the transition of the party to the opposition.[12] Holos is the first liberal party to form a faction in the Verkhovna Rada.[13]

Under the leadership of Kira Rudik, the party successfully took part in the 2020 Ukrainian local elections, securing the election of more than 300 of its representatives to local councils, including in Kyiv, Lviv, Rivne and 50 other cities and communities. More than 50% of deputies elected by Holos are women.

Under the leadership of Kira Rudik, the Holos political party became the first of the parliamentary parties of Ukraine to receive full membership in the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE).[14]

On September 4, 2020, Russia included Rudik in the list of persons subject to special economic measures.[15]

On June 4, 2022, she was elected Vice President of the ALDE, for the first time in history from among countries that are not members of the EU. As the Vice President of ALDE, on the eve of the decision to grant Ukraine the status of a candidate for EU membership, she made a working visit to Brussels, where she held political meetings in support of the historic decision with European parliamentarians.[16]

At ALDE she is focused on ensuring the interaction of liberal parties with Ukraine and promoting interests of Ukraine in the European Parliament; representation of countries outside the EU (Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, Iceland and Norway); acceleration of the EU enlargement process (first of all, European integration of Ukraine); advocacy for female leadership within the framework of the "Alliance of Her" program.

In November 2022, she received the Women In Politics Champion of the Year Award from The Alliance of Her.[17]

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine

With the beginning of Russia's full-scale aggression on February 24, 2022, she takes an active part in forming sustainable international support for Ukraine. On the day of the Russian invasion, she was in the Verkhovna Rada, where she supported the introduction of martial law and the adoption of all bills necessary for defense.

From the first days of the war, in communication with European and American politicians and international media, she advocated for the introduction of a no-fly zone over Ukraine,[18] and also for quickly providing Ukraine with the necessary weapons.[19] Advocates for negotiations between Ukraine and its partners with Russia exclusively from a position of strength.[20]

Actively pushes for confiscation of seized Russian assets in favor of Ukraine, as well as recognition of Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism for further expansion of sanctions.[21]

Together with William Browder, participates in an advocacy campaign for the adoption of laws on the confiscation of the property of the aggressor country, registered in the United States of America, Canada and Great Britain, and channeling those funds to support Ukraine’s fight against Russian aggression, as well as for the further recovery of the country from the consequences of the war.[22]

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon meeting Kira Rudik in May 2022

In May 2022 she was in Scotland meeting the first minister, Nicola Sturgeon. She thanked her for the support of Scotland.[23]

In June 2022, she visited Lithuania and Sweden, had meetings with the Speaker of the Parliament of Lithuania Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, the Mayor of Vilnius Remigijus Šimašius, Swedish and Lithuanian parliamentarians to strengthen support for Ukraine.[24] She was a participant in the 75th Liberal International Congress, where she spoke in a panel discussion on security and the new world order.[25]

She participated in the work of the European Union summit, where Ukraine received the status of a candidate for EU membership, held a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron as part of the summit of leaders of European liberal parties.[26]

French President Emmanuel Macron meeting Kira Rudik in June 2022

While taking part in the General Assembly of the Africa Liberal Network, Kira Rudik said that an important task for a politician is the consolidation of political support for Ukraine from the countries of the Global South and noted that it was necessary to convince African liberal partners of the need for real actions in support of Ukraine and international security, to call together with Ukrainians to protect international peace, security and territorial integrity and strengthen Ukraine's position in the Global South.[27]

At a meeting with the Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi in Washington, spoke about publicly supporting the confiscation of Russian assets in favor of Ukraine. The speaker of the US House of Representatives is known for her support of Ukraine. In particular, Nancy Pelosi made a statement that Russia should be recognized as a state sponsor of terrorism.[28]

Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi meeting Kira Rudik in September 2022

During a meeting with Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, Kira Rudik presented a project to confiscate Russian assets for the benefit of Ukraine. Estonia was chosen for the presentation of the project because of the huge contribution made by the Baltic States in support of Ukraine.[29]

At the conference of the Liberal Democratic Party of Great Britain in Bournemouth in the fall of 2023, Rudik called British Liberal Democrats to help speed up the process of confiscating Russian assets and transferring them to Ukraine. [30] Along with William Browder and Henry Jackson Society director Alan Mendoza, she participated in a panel discussion on the confiscation of Russian assets, where she stated that progress toward confiscation was not only a matter of justice and necessity, but also a clear signal to other dictatorships across the world.[31]

At the Global Forum of Women Leaders in Reykjavík, she met with former President of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaitė and Prime Minister of Iceland Katrín Jakobsdóttir, at which she thanked them for their comprehensive support of Ukrainians' struggle for freedom and democracy.[32]

Dalia Grybauskaitė & Kira Rudik, Reykjavík, November 2023

Rudik pays special attention to strengthening ties between Ukraine and Taiwan. Became one of the first parliamentarians to visit Taiwan. During the visit, she met with President Tsai Ing-wen and representatives of the Parliament and the Government.[33]

Social activities

Kira Rudik is engaged in advocating female leadership. The IT-company where she was a top-manager had the highest percentage of women in the Ukrainian industry — about 35%. In the Holos party, more than a half of the deputies of local councils are women. She is also a member of the "Equal opportunities" parliamentary group, which advocates for equality and support for women in all areas of public life.[34]

At ALDE Rudik is responsible for the advocacy of female leadership and the “Alliance of Her” program created for women from various European countries who are starting their careers in politics. About 200 participants have completed the program, having received knowledge, experience, and support from the leaders of European politics.[35]

She has also been helping homeless animals and fighting for humane treatment of all living beings. Takes care of the cat shelter in Kyiv, which currently houses about 100 furry ones.[36]

Media activity

Since the beginning of the full-scale war, Kira Rudik has been conducting an active information campaign in the leading mass media of the United States, Great Britain, Canada and Europe in support of Ukraine, advocating the provision of military, financial and political support to the country.

She joined CNN,[37] Fox News,[38] NBC,[39] MSNBC,[40] Newsmax, BBC World, Sky News, GB News, Times Radio, Polsat, TVN24, TVP World, Talk TV, Al Jazeera, CBC, CBS, ABC News, Bloomberg, France 24, BFM TV, LBC, LCI, ITV, CTV, Deutsche Welle, RTE Ireland and other leading information platforms. She was interviewed by the leading media outlets of the United States, Great Britain and Poland, such as The Guardian,[41] BBC HARDtalk,[42] Euractiv,[43] Rzeczpospolita etc.[44]

Kira Rudik is a columnist for the key Ukrainian internet media outlets Ukrainska Pravda,[45] Liga.net,[46] Livyi Bereh,[47] The New Voice of Ukraine,[48] as well as Western top media platforms such as: The Wall Street Journal,[49] The Hill,[50] The Telegraph,[51] Huffington Post,[52] Atlantic Council,[53] Newsweek etc.[54]

References

  1. ↑ "Kira Rudik's personal website".
  2. ↑ "PEP: Dossier Rudyk Kira Oleksandrivna, Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (Ukrainian Parliament), Member of Parliament of Ukraine". PEP.org.ua. Retrieved 2020-07-20.
  3. 1 2 3 "Рудик Кіра Олександрівна — вся правда Біографія, Балотування, Фракції, Декларація". www.chesno.org. Retrieved 2020-08-26.
  4. ↑ (in Russian) Short biography of Kira Rudyk, LIGA
  5. ↑ "Кіра Рудик — DSnews.ua". www.dsnews.ua (in Ukrainian). 2021-07-28. Retrieved 2022-08-28.
  6. ↑ "iForum.ua". 2019.iforum.ua. Retrieved 2020-05-17.
  7. ↑ Парламент затвердив список своїх комітетів і їх склад. ХТО В ЯКОМУ Новинарня (29.08.2019)
  8. ↑ Goloszmin. "Підвищення податків у січні 2020 року для ФОП в ІТ не буде, — Кіра Рудик". goloszmin.org (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2020-08-27.
  9. ↑ "4 ассоциации от лица всей IT-индустрии поддержали создание 5-й группы ФОП — документ". AIN.UA (in Russian). 2019-09-19. Retrieved 2020-08-27.
  10. ↑ "Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine official webportal". w1.c1.rada.gov.ua. Retrieved 2020-08-27.
  11. ↑ "У Раді створили міжфракційне об'єднання з метою захисту прав тварин" (in Ukrainian). НВ. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
  12. ↑ Goloszmin. "Заява "Голосу" про перехід в опозицію". goloszmin.org (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2020-08-27.
  13. ↑ ""Golos" political party". kirarudik.com.
  14. ↑ ""Голос" отримав повне членство в альянсі європейських ліберал-демократів". goloszmin.org. 2020-11-18. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
  15. ↑ "Россия ввела санкции против депутатов из фракции "ЕС", "Батькивщина" и "Голос"" (in Russian). Ukrayinska Pravda. 2020-09-04. Retrieved 2020-11-17.
  16. ↑ "Ukraine granted EU Candidate status". ALDE. 4 June 2022. Retrieved 2022-09-07.
  17. ↑ "Kira Rudik named Alliance Of Her Women in Politics Champion of the Year". aldeparty.eu. Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party. 2022-12-07.
  18. ↑ "I plead with our NATO partners to provide us with a no-fly zone: Ukrainian MP Kira Rudik". Deutsche Welle. 2022-03-15. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  19. ↑ "We need weapons to defend our skies from Putin - Kira Rudik". 2022-10-25.
  20. ↑ "'When he says "I want peace," this means "I'm getting my troops to kill you"': Ukrainian Parliament member on talks with Putin". CNN. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  21. ↑ "russian assets confiscation". kirarudik.com.
  22. ↑ "There is a political will to confiscate russian assets, but effective legal mechanisms are needed, — Kira Rudik in Davos". kirarudik.com. 2023-01-17.
  23. ↑ "Ukrainian MP Kira Rudik 'extremely grateful' to Scots for solidarity". STV News. 2022-06-01. Retrieved 2022-06-01.
  24. ↑ "VP Rudik travels to Lithuania and Sweden to advocate for more support to Ukraine". ALDE. 5 July 2022. Retrieved 2022-09-07.
  25. ↑ "Liberal International celebrates 75th Anniversary at Congress in Bulgaria". ALDE. 6 July 2022. Retrieved 2022-09-07.
  26. ↑ Kira Rudik (2022-06-23). "На зустрічі лідерів ліберальних партій Європи розповіла Emmanuel Macron, яке величезне значення матиме статус Кандидата для кожного українця".
  27. ↑ Kira Rudik (2022-10-06). "The diplomatic front is not only about supporting partners, it is also about depriving the enemy of those few allies or countries conditionally loyal to the russian federation".
  28. ↑ Kira Rudik (2022-09-22). "The confiscation of russian assets for the benefit of Ukraine is a difficult task and requires powerful allies".
  29. ↑ "Today in Estonia, at a meeting with the Prime Minister Kaja Kallas I presented a project to confiscate russian assets for the benefit of Ukraine". 2022-11-09.
  30. ↑ "'We will never forget it' says Ukrainian MP at Liberal Democrat party conference". Daily Record. 2023-09-25.
  31. ↑ "Progress in the confiscation of russian assets is crucial for Ukraine and its allies, and it is a clear signal to other dictators, — Kira Rudik at the HJS panel discussion". 2023-09-28.
  32. ↑ "Female leaders show support for Ukraine, — Kira Rudik about the Global Forum in Reykjavík". 2023-11-14.
  33. ↑ Nadiia Klochko (2022-10-26). "Вперше представниця українського парламенту відвідала Тайвань". glavcom.ua.
  34. ↑ "Female leadership".
  35. ↑ "Kira Rudik named Alliance Of Her Women in Politics Champion of the Year". aldeparty.eu. Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe. 2022-12-07.
  36. ↑ "Animal rights".
  37. ↑ "'When he says "I want peace," this means "I'm getting my troops to kill you"': Ukrainian Parliament member on talks with Putin". edition.cnn.com. CNN.
  38. ↑ "Ukrainian Parliament member Kira Rudik: We don't have running water, electricity or internet". foxnews.com. Fox News. 2022-11-23.
  39. ↑ "Ukraine MP: We were 'cheering for both sides' during Wagner revolt". nbcnews.com. NBC. 2023-06-28.
  40. ↑ "Ukrainian MP Kira Rudik: Russian forces are 'committing all kinds of crimes on civilians', 'basically starving people out', 'breaking all the agreements'". msnbc.com. MSNBC. 2022-04-25.
  41. ↑ Dan Sabbagh (2022-05-30). "Ukrainian MP Kira Rudik: Russian forces are 'committing all kinds of crimes on civilians', 'basically starving people out', 'breaking all the agreements'". theguardian.com. The Guardian.
  42. ↑ "Kira Rudik: Can Ukraine win this war?". bbc.co.uk. HARDtalk. 2023-02-13.
  43. ↑ Benjamin Fox (2023-06-02). "Kyiv MP: Ukraine needs EU membership timeline to accelerate reform process". euractiv.com. Euractiv.
  44. ↑ Rusłan Szoszyn (2022-09-20). "Kira Rudyk: Rosja rozumie tylko język siły". rp.pl. Rzeczpospolita.
  45. ↑ "Кіра Рудик". pravda.com.ua. Ukrainska Pravda.
  46. ↑ Кіра Рудик. "Думки". Liga.net.
  47. ↑ Кіра Рудик. "Блог Кіри Рудик". LB.ua.
  48. ↑ Кіра Рудик. "Публікації". The New Voice of Ukraine.
  49. ↑ Kira Rudik (2023-08-23). "Ukraine Renews Its Independence". The Wall Street Journal.
  50. ↑ Kira Rudik (2023-09-14). "A fall victory for Ukraine can avert another winter of targeted brutality". The Hill.
  51. ↑ Kira Rudik (2023-07-07). "This war has taught us that impossible is nothing. We will win. Watch us". The Telegraph.
  52. ↑ Kira Rudik (2023-02-22). "Kira Rudik: 'Call A Spade A Spade, Russia Is A Terrorist State'". Huffington Post.
  53. ↑ Kira Rudik (2022-07-15). "EU candidate status is an historic opportunity to transform Ukraine". Atlantic Council.
  54. ↑ Kira Rudik (2023-12-04). "Ukrainian MP: Here's How The Bad Guys in Russia Can Face Justice". Newsweek.
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