Zelensky promises to sign same-sex partnership law
For the new law to reach the President’s desk, it must first be registered by the Verkhovna Rada.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that he will sign a law on civil partnerships. A video of his statement was shared by Nikita Havryliuk. During a meeting with students, Havryliuk asked Zelensky if he was ready to sign the law, to which the President replied affirmatively: “Yes.”
"At a meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky, I managed to ask about something that directly concerns me – civil partnerships. I am very proud of myself. Very pleased with the response. I believe that reasonableness will prevail, the bill will pass, and I will finally be able to get married (because I want to). Thank you, Mr. President," Havryliuk wrote.
In August 2022, Zelensky had already announced progress on the issue of legalizing civil partnerships in response to a petition for the legalization of same-sex marriages, which gathered over 28,500 signatures. At the time, he stated that the Cabinet of Ministers was working on possible solutions to the issue.
A bill on civil partnerships was introduced to the Verkhovna Rada in 2023. The document was authored by MP Inna Sovsun, who explained that it would establish a legal framework for registered partnerships, available to both same-sex and opposite-sex couples, including military personnel and civilians who do not wish to enter into formal marriage.
Currently, same-sex couples in Ukraine lack rights to joint property ownership, inheritance, or shared child-rearing. They also cannot take responsibility for their partner’s minor children in the event of the partner’s death.
As previously reported, on March 13, 2023, the Verkhovna Rada registered Bill No. 9103, which proposes the legalization of same-sex unions in Ukraine.
