Zelensky Rules Out Referendum

- Under Ukrainian law, national referendums and elections are prohibited while the country is under martial law, a state that has been in effect since the full-scale invasion began. Any potential peace agreement would likely need to be approved by a parliamentary vote or a national referendum only after martial law is lifted. - The statement was made as Zelensky attends the 62nd Munich Security Conference, an annual gathering of heads of state, ministers, and international organization leaders to discuss pressing global security challenges. This year's conference is focused on topics including the war in Ukraine, European security, and transatlantic relations. - On the sidelines of the conference, Zelensky's agenda includes discussions on establishing the first joint Ukrainian-German drone production enterprise. - Previous peace talks have stalled over key demands. In early negotiations, Ukraine was open to discussing neutrality in exchange for security guarantees, while Russia's demands included Ukraine recognizing Crimea as Russian and the independence of Luhansk and Donetsk. - Russia has previously organized what the United Nations General Assembly condemned as illegal "so-called referendums" in the occupied Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia. International law considers such referendums held by an occupying power to be a violation of the UN Charter and to have no legal validity. - Prior to the 2022 full-scale invasion, the Minsk agreements, negotiated in a format involving Ukraine, Russia, Germany, and France, were the primary framework for peace. These agreements aimed to end the war in Donbas but failed to be fully implemented. - Recent reports indicated a US push for an expedited peace settlement, with discussions around a framework that would be put to a referendum in Ukraine. However, Zelensky stated that while he is open to the idea of a referendum, he would not put a "bad deal" to a vote.