Nets Skip Ukraine Expanding Gun Rights Before Invasion, Handing Out Guns

Just hours before Russian invaders of Ukraine began, the Rada (parliament), introduced legislation to allow more Ukrainian civilians firearm ownership. They were looking down at the bear who was determined to conquer and wage war against them. It’s another obvious example of why civilian firearm ownership is important and vital for a free people, yet it wasn’t worth any airtime on the broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, and NBC) that night or Thursday.

Citing local Ukrainian reporting, The Reload’s Stephan Gutowski reported: “274 of the country’s 450 elected representatives voted for the bill, according to local media outlet Ukrinform. The bill would formalize the country’s gun laws, allow more civilians to own and carry guns, and allow them to be used for self-defense in more places.”

The Canada-based CTV noted the move came on the eve of, “[o]ne of Europe’s worst security crises in decades” after “Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized two areas of eastern Ukraine as independent and ordered troops to be deployed to eastern Ukraine.”

“The country is not new to organizing civilians into effective fighting forces,” Gutowski added. “Volunteers have been fighting against Russian-backed separatists in the now-occupied eastern provinces since shortly after the puppet government was thrown out during a popular uprising. The government is now organizing these efforts into Territorial Defense Forces administrated by the military.”

In his analysis of the law and what it could mean for gun rights in Ukraine, The Reload’s Anthony Constantini noticed that “the US gun-rights movement may have indirectly inspired” the direction the law took.

“Most importantly, however, the law codifies the right to use deadly force in defense of life, health, or property. The Chairman of the Rada, Ruslan Stefanchuk, made clear to Ukrainian News that this bill was designed with one key goal in mind: ‘to ensure that every citizen receives the sacred right to self-defense,’” he wrote.

Constantini also pointed out that the law is “a mixed bag” because “Ukraine is determined to join the European Union” and they have certain requirements on firearms for member states:

This law changed that, but a close look at the new law does not seem to give pro-gun Americans anything to be proud of. This law mandates state licensing and classes. It also strengthens an existing national gun registry. For civilian possession of Class A weapons (fully automatic), Class C weapons (rifled, short-barreled weapons) are prohibited. Sportsmen are allowed to own Class B weapons. Although legal, Class B (smoothbore-short-barreled weapons) is only allowed to be used by those in hazardous professions. However, Class B weapons are legal to carry on your person.

“However, even with these flaws, I would argue that this is an incredibly important law that gun-rights enthusiasts should celebrate,” he surmised.

However, there may still be positive news for European gun rights.

“Should the Ukrainians mount an effective resistance against a likely Russian occupation, expansions of the draft law is sure to follow” and “an expansion of gun rights may not be confined to Ukraine,” as very anti-Russian states like Poland see the appeal of being able to repel aggression from their hyper-hostile regional neighbor.

Fox News Pentagon correspondent Lucas Tomlinson has reported from Ukraine that they have given out 10,000 rifles for civilian defense of Kyiv.

10,000 rifles distributed to civilians to defend capital from Russian invasion: Ukraine’s interior minister

— Lucas Tomlinson (@LucasFoxNews) February 24, 2022

On that distribution of weapons, Gutowski notes “half a million Ukrainians have fighting experience and could form the basis of long-term resistance to Russian occupation” and “Ukrainian leaders have maintained they would fiercely resist an invasion by whatever means necessary.”

NBC Nightly NewsHowever, they did not note the increase in gun rights Thursday. Yet reporter Erin McLaughlin spoke with a member of the Ukrainian parliament who’s never shot a weapon before but was among those ready to take up arms:

MCLAUGHLIN – A line forms at the headquarters of national police, waiting for weapons to be given. Ukrainians were encouraged by their government to get involved in fighting and arm themselves. The man is left behind with two AK-47s even though he had never fired a gun. [TO VASYLOVYCH]Are you able to apply it?

MOVCHAN OLEKSII VASYLOVYCH : I’m not very good at it, but I do understand. It’s all I have to do is find a quiet spot and learn how it works.

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