In the context of a full-scale war, discussions about amending the Constitution are not a priority; instead, the main task is to ensure that its provisions are enforced.
Ihor Ostash, one of the drafters of the Constitution, a member of the Ukrainian Parliament for three terms, and currently the director of the Hennadii Udovenko Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine, made this statement to Ukrinform.
“The Constitution’s provisions regarding amendments are drafted in such a way that the Basic Law is amended as little as possible, since at its core it is a very good document. We built a very important safeguard into the Constitution—any changes to Ukraine’s territory must be decided exclusively by an all-Ukrainian referendum, which is scheduled by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. In the current context of war, it is difficult to discuss any amendments to the Constitution. For me, as someone who participated in drafting it, it is more important that this Constitution be upheld. And it is precisely in upholding its provisions that we face significant challenges,” Ostash said.
At the same time, he emphasized that the Constitution of Ukraine enshrines the values that Ukrainians are currently defending in the war against Russia.
“We are defending our territorial integrity, our history, and our values—democratic, Christian, and European. This is precisely what was enshrined in the Constitution on June 28, 1996,” the diplomat emphasized.
According to him, the Constitution also enshrines the historical continuity of Ukrainian statehood. In particular, the state coat of arms of Ukraine, as defined by Article 20 of the Constitution, is a symbol of the princely state of Volodymyr the Great and links modern Ukraine to the history of Kyiv Rus'.
Ostash also highlighted the Constitution’s significance for Ukraine’s international standing.
“With the adoption of the Constitution, we became full-fledged members of the European political family and, more broadly, the democratic Western world, as this document was drafted with European and global democratic experience in mind. The current Coalition of the Willing, which supports Ukraine amid the war, is also built on the values enshrined in the Constitution,” he said.
Ostash also emphasized the importance of promoting Ukraine’s constitutional heritage worldwide, particularly Pylyp Orlyk’s 1710 document, which is considered one of the first European constitutions.
As previously reported, Ukraine celebrates Constitution Day on Sunday, June 28.
