Zelensky sees legalization of weapons as premature

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thinks that the legalization of weapons in Ukraine is premature, according to his response to an electronic petition regarding the legislative regulation of the circulation of weapons, including short-barreled weapons, and the right to use weapons for protection, which received the necessary number of votes on the head of state's website.

"Considering the highest social value defined by the Constitution of Ukraine – people, their life and health, honor and dignity, inviolability and security, realizing the responsibility of the state to people for its activity and given the need to improve legal policy and establish peace in society, legalizing the circulation of weapons in the state is considered premature and therefore cannot be supported," the president said.

At the same time, he promised that proposals stated in the electronic petition would be submitted to the Legal Reform Commission.

"Given the prolonged military aggressive policy being conducted by the Russian Federation against Ukraine and a large number of illegal weapons in the country in connection with the fighting in the east of the country, I believe that a comprehensive and truly professional study of the situation in this area, first of all, taking into account an analysis of the experience of foreign countries, as well as the state of the military-political and operational situation, public order and public security in the country, can be a reliable basis for making the right decisions in terms of preventing the appearance of additional causes and conditions for a frivolous and contemptuous attitude to human life," Zelensky said.

Electronic petition No. 22/053416-ep "To bring order to the circulation of arms, and order is law," which was published on the official website of the head of state on May 22, 2019, by citizen Heorhiy Uchaikin from NGO Ukrainian Association of Weapon Owners. The petition received 25,651 votes out of the 25,000 required for consideration by the president.

op