Ukraine cannot hold territorial referendum under current law

Hennadii Dubov, a candidate of legal sciences, stated this on Espreso TV.

"From a legal point of view, it is very difficult to analyze the president's statement about a referendum on territorial issues. Because such a statement is not in accordance with current legislation. The people of Ukraine, under the current version of the law on the all-Ukrainian referendum, cannot resolve issues related to territorial integrity. This is precisely what we are talking about here. After all, Article 3 of this law even prohibits raising such a question," Dubov explained.

According to him, only a vote in parliament can change the legislation on the all-Ukrainian referendum, and therefore, at this stage, it is impossible to agree on, or even coordinate, the hypothetical possibility of holding a referendum.

"Speaking of procedures, if Volodymyr Zelenskyy wants to raise the issue of abandoning certain territories, which is also controversial from a legal point of view. Since Article 110 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine provides for responsibility even for calls to violate the territorial integrity of Ukraine. How to conduct a referendum and campaign in such conditions, without violating the requirements of criminal law, is unclear. Moreover, in order to put this issue to a referendum, it is necessary to change the law of Ukraine on the all-Ukrainian referendum, and this can only be done by a vote in parliament with the president's signature. That is, at this stage, it is impossible to agree on, or even coordinate, the hypothetical possibility of holding a referendum. The president's statement is rather political in nature. Currently, these actions cannot be carried out, because it is a criminal offense," he emphasized.

• On December 9, in an interview with POLITICO, Donald Trump stated that it was "time" for presidential elections in Ukraine.

• In response, Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine was ready to hold elections within 60-90 days if the United States and European partners guaranteed security.