Zelensky: Russia Does Not Want Any Referendum In Ukraine

• 30.12.2025, 21:05

Moscow will constantly "find reasons for there not to be a ceasefire."

Russia does not want Ukraine to hold a referendum on the conditions for ending the war. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this on December 30 in response to an online question from journalists, according to a correspondent of the "Gordon" publication.

"Have we discussed the procedure for holding a referendum and what is the Russian position on the referendum? [...] Russia does not want any referendum. And it is absolutely clear why. First of all, the referendum needs security. They do not want to give us security, cease fire (ceasefire. - Ed.) for people until some issues are resolved," Zelensky said.

The Ukrainian president predicts that Moscow will constantly "find reasons not to have a ceasefire".

He emphasized that it is impossible to hold a referendum without safe infrastructure.

"They also understand that if a decision is made by parliament - although I am not against the decision being made by parliament - [...] they can always say later, accuse that it was an illegitimate parliament, that it worked for more than five years and so on," Zelensky said.

The president emphasized that at the same time it is impossible to call the decision of the Ukrainian people illegitimate.

"Because there can be no illegitimate people of Ukraine," Zelensky explained. - And we have one - the united people of Ukraine. And I consider the decision of the citizens of Ukraine to be the most important one."

He noted that parliamentary support or a referendum "are two different approaches".