Dudka Volodymyr Volodymyrovych

Pharmaceutical Distributor from the Party of Regions

Volodymyr Dudka is a member of the VII convocation of parliament, whose career represents a typical combination of pharmaceutical business and party loyalty for his time. In 1993, Dudka founded the company "Alba Ukraine" — a distributor of pharmaceutical products, which he led until his election to the Verkhovna Rada. From 2008 to 2010, he was president of the Association of Pharmaceutical Distributors "PHARMAUKRAINE." From 2010 to 2012, he was a deputy of the Kyiv Regional Council.

From “Strong Ukraine” to the Regions and Back to Nowhere

He entered the VII convocation of the Rada at number 35 on the Party of Regions list. From 2010 to 2012, he was a member of Serhiy Tihipko's "Strong Ukraine," then moved to the Party of Regions. After the Maidan, he joined the deputy group "Sovereign European Ukraine," becoming non-affiliated. A classic trajectory of a "regional" trying to rebrand himself after 2014.

Appeal about the “Polish genocide” — and Kravchuk’s Verdict

Dudka was one of 148 deputies of the Verkhovna Rada who signed an appeal to the Polish Sejm asking to recognize as genocide the events of the Ukrainian national liberation war of 1942–1944 affecting Poles. Ukraine's first president, Leonid Kravchuk, characterized this move as "national betrayal." Signing this appeal during his tenure in the Party of Regions is a notable detail for a person who later positioned himself as a pro-European non-affiliated deputy.