Referendums in Ukraine

{{main|1991 Ukrainian independence referendum}}

{{See also|1991 Transcarpathian general regional referendum}}

On December 1, 1991, a referendum, initiated by parliament of Ukraine, took place. On August 26, 1991, the parliament adopted the Declaration of Independence of Ukraine, and the referendum was called with a question: "Do you support the Declaration of Independence of Ukraine". Of registered voters, 84.18% participated in the referendum, and 90.32% of them answered "Yes".

{{main|2000 Ukrainian referendum}}

On April 16, 2000, an All-Ukrainian referendum took place, which was called by the President Kuchma upon population initiative. Four questions were brought up:

• On conditions for dissolution of the parliament
• On immunity of a deputy
• On decrease of the number of parliament deputies
• On introduction of two-chamber parliament

The majority of citizens answered "Yes" on all four questions.

• [http://www.cvk.gov.ua/pls/r001/webproc21r?kodvib=300&rejim=0 Questions of the referendum] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120205091229/http://www.cvk.gov.ua/pls/r001/webproc21r?kodvib=300&rejim=0 |date=2012-02-05 }} (in Ukrainian)
• [http://www.cvk.gov.ua/pls/r001/webproc17r?kodvib=300 Results of the referendum] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120205091235/http://www.cvk.gov.ua/pls/r001/webproc17r?kodvib=300 |date=2012-02-05 }} (in Ukrainian)

In December 2006, the Central Electoral Committee of Ukraine recognized as valid more than 3 million voters' signatures which were collected in the call for the Referendum on Ukraine joining NATO, and for the Referendum on Ukraine joining Common Economic Space (with Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan). The Committee officially informed the President of Ukraine of their decision. It's expected that the President or the Parliament should schedule the referendums. No financing was reserved for the organization of referendums in 2007 State Budget of Ukraine. The signature collection in the call for the referendum was organized by the United Social Democratic Party of Ukraine. [http://www.korrespondent.net/main/174827/].

A Gallup poll conducted in October 2008 showed that 43% of Ukrainians associated NATO as a threat to their country, while only 15% associated it with protection.[http://www.gallup.com/poll/110848/Ukrainians-May-Oppose-Presidents-ProWestern-Goals.aspx Ukrainians May Oppose President’s Pro-Western Goals] Gallup Retrieved on August 26, 2009 A November 2009 poll by Ukrainian Project System relieved 40.1% of Ukrainians polled said the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) was the best global security group for Ukraine to be a part of and 33.9% of the respondents supported Ukraine's full membership in CSTO; more than 36% of the respondents of the poll said that Ukraine should remain neutral and only 12.5% supported Ukraine's accession to NATO.[http://www.kyivpost.com/news/nation/detail/53640/ Poll: over 40 percent of Ukrainians prefer Collective Security Treaty Organization, 12.5 percent favor NATO], Kyiv Post (November 26, 2009) A 2009 Gallup poll showed that 40% of Ukrainian adults associate NATO with "Threat" and 17% with "Protection".[http://www.gallup.com/poll/127094/ukrainians-likely-support-move-away-nato.aspx Ukrainians Likely Support Move Away From NATO], Gallup (April 2, 2010) According to a poll by Razumkov Center in March 2011 20.6% on average across Ukraine considered NATO a threat; this number was 51% in Crimea.[http://www.kyivpost.com/news/nation/detail/102113/ Poll: Most Crimean residents consider Ukraine their motherland], Kyiv Post (11 April 2011) A 2013 Gallup poll showed that 29% associated NATO with "Threat" and 17% with "Protection"; 44% viewed it as neither.[http://www.gallup.com/poll/167927/crisis-ukrainians-likely-nato-threat.aspx Before Crisis, Ukrainians More Likely to See NATO as a Threat], Gallup (14 March 2014)

In February 2014, President Yanukovych fled Ukraine amid the Euromaidan uprising. As a result of this revolution, the interim Yatsenyuk Government came to power in Ukraine.[http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/193035.html Maidan nominates Yatseniuk for prime minister], Interfax-Ukraine (26 February 2014)
[http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/193222.html Ukrainian parliament endorses new cabinet], Interfax-Ukraine (27 February 2014) The Yatsenyuk Government initially stated it did not have the intention of making Ukraine a member of NATO. However, the start of the Russo-Ukrainian War caused many Ukrainians to change their views of NATO: polls from the middle of 2014 until 2016 showed that the majority of Ukrainians supported NATO membership. Following parliamentary elections in October 2014, the new government made joining NATO a priority.{{cite web|url=http://www.rferl.org/content/ukraine-parliament-coalition-agreement/26703123.html|title=New Ukraine Coalition Agreed, Sets NATO As Priority|date=2014-11-22|access-date=2014-11-22|publisher=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty}} On 29 December 2014 Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko (elected president on 25 May 2014){{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/ukraine-talks-set-to-open-without-pro-russian-separatists/2014/05/14/621dbc6a-c7d9-40bc-b2e5-814a4108bbef_story.html|title=Ukraine talks set to open without pro-Russian separatists|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=14 May 2014|access-date=29 May 2014}}
{{cite news|date=22 May 2014|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27518989|title=Ukraine elections: Runners and risks|publisher=BBC News|access-date=29 May 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140527092109/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27518989|archive-date=27 May 2014|url-status=live}}
{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8460978.stm|title=Q&A: Ukraine presidential election|publisher=BBC News|date=7 February 2010|access-date=29 May 2014|url-status=live|archive-date=29 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140429045939/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8460978.stm}}
{{cite web|publisher=Radio Ukraine International|access-date=29 May 2014|url=http://www.nrcu.gov.ua/en/148/566632/|title=Poroshenko wins presidential election with 54.7% of vote – CEC|date=29 May 2014|archive-date=29 May 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140529212731/http://www.nrcu.gov.ua/en/148/566632/}}
{{cite news|publisher=Телеграф|url=http://telegraf.com.ua/ukraina/politika/1300294-rezultatyi-vyiborov-prezidenta-ukrainyi-2014-tsik-obrabotala-51-99.html|script-title=ru:Внеочередные выборы Президента Украины|trans-title=Results election of Ukrainian president|date=29 May 2014|access-date=29 May 2014|language=ru|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140529233925/http://telegraf.com.ua/ukraina/politika/1300294-rezultatyi-vyiborov-prezidenta-ukrainyi-2014-tsik-obrabotala-51-99.html|archive-date=29 May 2014}}
{{cite news|url=http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/205114.html|title=New Ukrainian president will be elected for 5-year term – Constitutional Court|date=16 May 2014|access-date=29 May 2014|agency=Interfax-Ukraine|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140517121006/http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/205114.html|archive-date=17 May 2014|url-status=live}} vowed to hold a referendum on joining NATO.[http://www.euronews.com/2014/12/30/new-year-new-hope-as-ukraine-paves-way-for-nato-membership/ http://www.euronews.com/2014/12/30/new-year-new-hope-as-ukraine-paves-way-for-nato-membership/], Euronews (30 December 2014)

NATO officials vowed support for Ukraine and worked to downplay tensions between the bloc and Russia, which refused to recognize the impeachment of Yanukovych or the Yatsenyuk Government.{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-crisis-breedlove-idUSBREA1Q1F220140227|title=NATO commander plays down tension with Russia over Ukraine|date=27 February 2014|access-date=27 February 2014|work=Reuters}} In late February 2014, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Secretary General of NATO, reaffirmed that NATO membership is still an option for Ukraine.{{cite news|url=http://www.euronews.com/2014/02/26/door-to-nato-remains-open-for-ukraine/|agency=Euronews|title=Door to NATO remains open for Ukraine|date=26 February 2014|access-date=27 February 2014|archive-date=18 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210118035504/https://www.euronews.com/2014/02/26/door-to-nato-remains-open-for-ukraine|url-status=dead}}

Western Ukraine has always been significantly more pro-NATO than the rest of the country;[https://books.google.com/books?id=pbocXztNVsUC&pg=PA24 Endgame in NATO's Enlargement: The Baltic States and Ukraine] by Yaroslav Bilinsky, 1999, Greenwood Press, {{ISBN|0-275-96363-2}}/{{ISBN|978-0-275-96363-7}}, page 25[http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/204811.html Ukrainians supporting NATO membership in minority – poll], Interfax-Ukraine (14 May 2014) Eastern Ukraine is far more anti-NATO and pro-Russia than the rest of Ukraine.

{{Popular support to NATO integration of Ukraine in Ukraine}}

On 29 August 2015, Baturyn Andrii posted an electronic petition No.22/000052 {{cite web

| url = https://president.gov.ua/petition/52

| title = Electronic petitions to the president of Ukraine. "Joining NATO referendum" (replied). Petition text (A.S.Baturyn).

| date = 29 August 2015

}}{{Dead link|date=February 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} to the president of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko requesting to run a referendum to join NATO. Petition achieved required 25 000 of votes to be considered. President reply mentions that "One of the main priorities of Ukraine's foreign policy is to deepen cooperation with NATO to achieve the criteria required for membership in this organization. Today we carry out security sector reform in Ukraine to reach NATO standards and to strengthen the country's defense system, which is necessary to counter Russian aggression. Once Ukraine fulfills all the necessary criteria to join the Alliance, final decision on this important issue will be approved by the Ukrainian people in a referendum".{{cite web

| url = https://president.gov.ua/petition/52

| title = Electronic petitions to the president of Ukraine. "Joining NATO referendum" (replied). President's reply.

| date = 29 August 2015

}}{{Dead link|date=February 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

In February 2017, President Poroshenko announced a referendum (given polls that show 54 percent of Ukrainians favor such a move) to be held during his presidency.{{cite news

| url = https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ukraine-nato-idUSKBN15H05K

| title = Ukraine's Poroshenko plans referendum on NATO membership: German media. Reuters.

| newspaper = Reuters

| date = 1 February 2017

}}{{cite web

| url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/02/02/ukraines-petro-poroshenko-will-hold-referendum-nato-membership/

| title = Ukraine's Petro Poroshenko 'will hold referendum' on Nato membership. Telegraph.

| date = 2 February 2017

}}

• Elections in Ukraine
• Constitution of Ukraine

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Category:Politics of Ukraine

Category:History of Ukraine since 1991