Ukraine Moves Toward Legalizing Porn Production, Zelensky Submits Petition to Parliament
OnlyFans model’s public petition crosses 25,000 signatures; Zelensky responds by forwarding it for formal review
prativad 
Kyiv: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has submitted a public petition to parliament that seeks to legalize the production of adult content in the country. The petition, which crossed the required threshold of 25,000 signatures, was officially acknowledged on Tuesday via a statement published on the presidential website.
The petition was initiated by Ukrainian OnlyFans model Svitlana Dvornikova, calling for the decriminalization of pornography production. She argues that law enforcement resources should be directed toward more serious crimes, rather than pursuing individuals for creating or distributing consensual adult material.
What the Petition Demands
Dvornikova’s appeal urges lawmakers to amend existing legislation so that authorities can no longer prosecute creators of adult content. She emphasized that creating adult media causes no harm and should not be considered a crime.
Despite having reportedly paid over 40 million hryvnias (approximately $958,000) in taxes over the last five years, Dvornikova said she faces two criminal cases — one for alleged tax evasion and another for creating pornographic material. She openly asked Zelensky to support the cause, stating, “What causes no harm should not be a crime.”
Legal Background
Pornography has been illegal in Ukraine since 2009, when then-President Viktor Yushchenko signed a law criminalizing the possession, production, sale, and distribution of such content.
A Revenue and Rights Debate
The head of Ukraine’s parliamentary tax committee, Danylo Hetmantsev, has also voiced support for decriminalization. In 2024, he noted that around 350 Ukrainian OnlyFans creators had officially declared their income and paid taxes. He called ongoing prosecutions of such individuals "hypocrisy."
Not the First Attempt
In 2023, MP Yaroslav Zhelezniak introduced Bill No. 9623 seeking to legalize pornography in Ukraine. He argued that legal adult content could generate revenue for the Ukrainian army and reduce unnecessary pressure on law enforcement.
According to Zhelezniak, thousands of Ukrainians were already working in the industry, and platforms like OnlyFans contributed 34 million hryvnias (approx. $920,000) in taxes during the first half of 2023 alone.
However, the bill faced strong opposition and was ultimately withdrawn before it could be voted on. Critics argued that pornography was “more dangerous than alcoholism” and warned of its potential to trigger “national decline.”
Summary
With President Zelensky formally submitting the petition to the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine is now set to revisit the controversial debate on adult content legalization — a move that could reshape digital freedoms, state revenue, and legal frameworks in the country.
