The referendum is comparable to a scalpel - its effectiveness depends on who holds this instrument, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Dmytro Razumkov said.

"Let's approach this issue professionally. A referendum is such an effective tool, thanks to which we gained independence in due time. But I like to compare a referendum with a scalpel - in the hands of a surgeon it can save the country [...] It is important that it does not fall into the wrong hands," Razumkov said on Thursday evening on the air of Priamy TV channel, answering a question about the possibility of holding a referendum on the status of Donbas.

He said that he had not yet seen the press conference of the head of state, and would not comment on it without justification.

"I think that we, as a government, must always step out of the interests of our state and act solely in order to return our territories. Do you understand what a referendum is? You need to understand what issues are being raised, what the consequences will be, and what we want to discuss there," the speaker of the parliament said.

As reported, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said about the possibility of holding an all-Ukrainian referendum on the situation in eastern Ukraine at a press conference on Thursday, May 20.