Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that ratification of a possible document on the end of the war could take place through a nationwide referendum if the peace agreement provides for a special format for resolving the territorial issue. This includes the idea of creating a potential free economic zone in Donbas. The head of state said this while commenting on individual points of the draft basic document between Ukraine, the United States, Russia and European partners.
According to Zelensky, within the framework of the 14th point of the peace plan, a proposal was discussed, according to which Russian troops would withdraw from part of Ukrainian regions - Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, Sumy and Kharkiv regions, and Ukraine would at the same time leave Donbas. In this territory, according to the authors of the proposal, it was envisaged to create a free economic zone.
The President emphasized that current Ukrainian legislation does not allow such a scenario to be implemented without the use of a special decision-making mechanism. That is why, if such an initiative is put on the agenda, the only legitimate way may be a nationwide referendum.
The Head of State emphasized that it is up to citizens to decide whether society is ready to agree to such a format for ending the war. At the same time, he clarified that the referendum should not be about a separate item, but about the entire peace document as a whole — with the option of answering "yes" or "no.".
Zelensky also noted that preparations for a nationwide referendum require at least 60 days and are possible only under a complete ceasefire. According to him, holding a referendum without a stable regime of silence will make it illegitimate and could lead to an internal split in the state.
The President acknowledged that organizing a referendum during wartime is extremely difficult due to security risks and the inability of citizens in temporarily occupied territories to participate.
At the same time, Zelensky outlined an alternative scenario. If the territorial issue is resolved according to the principle of "standing where we stand," which Ukraine proposes, and the front line in Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia, and Kherson regions is de facto fixed and controlled by international forces, the peace agreement can be ratified in the Verkhovna Rada without holding a referendum.
The President concluded that in the case of any decisions that go beyond such a scenario, a single signature on the agreement will not be enough, and the final word must remain with society.
