Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is being urged to hold an open press conference with independent journalists after an official public petition was published in Kyiv. The petition, posted on the presidential website on August 27, calls for direct dialogue following weeks of public demonstrations across the country.
Organisers of the appeal noted that street protests in Ukraine had lasted for more than a month, during which citizens repeatedly presented demands to the government. Although the public demonstrations have now ended, the initiators emphasized that the core issues that sparked the movement remain unresolved.
Under Ukrainian law, the official presidential petition portal allows citizens to submit formal requests directly to the head of state. To qualify for mandatory review and an official response by the president, a petition must gather 25,000 signatures from citizens within three months of publication.
The petition states that holding an open press conference featuring critical and independent journalists represents a realistic way for authorities to hear public concerns. Initiators stressed that reporters must be allowed to ask sharp and uncomfortable questions regarding domestic policy, executive decisions, and the demands raised during the recent protests.
The document specifically requests that the President's Office invite representatives from prominent independent media outlets. Named organisations include Ukrainska Pravda, Bihus.Info, Slidstvo.Info, Radio Svoboda, hromadske, The Kyiv Independent, Suspilne, NV, Dzerkalo Tyzhnia, BBC Ukraine, and Liga.net, alongside other news services. Suspilne operates as Ukraine's public broadcasting company, while Radio Svoboda functions as the Ukrainian service of Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty.
Petitioners insisted that participating journalists must be permitted to put forward their questions without any prior approval or vetting of their content by government officials.
Repeated attempts to register appeal
Ukrainian journalist Danylo Mokryk, one of the lead initiators of the appeal, stated that the current petition was registered only after at least five previous attempts had been blocked by administrators.
The petition has gathered almost 5,700 signatures so far. Organisers have until November 27 to collect the 25,000 votes required to trigger formal consideration by the president.
Changing media access formats
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last held a comprehensive press conference in Ukraine open to a broad range of media outlets in early 2025, more than a year and a half ago.
Since that time, the Ukrainian leader has answered questions from reporters primarily during foreign visits or while receiving foreign delegations in Ukraine. Organisers noted that those joint appearances strictly limit both the format and the time available for journalists to ask questions.
In 2025, the President's Office introduced a new format involving recorded audio responses from Zelenskyy to questions submitted in advance. However, the petition initiators noted that access to this audio format remains limited, with many media outlets excluded from participation.
