As Ukraine battles ongoing conflict with Russia, one lawmaker is working to legalize pornography, viewing it as a potential solution for economic and social contradictions inherent in current Ukrainian law. Yaroslav Zhelezniak, deputy chairman of the Ukrainian Parliament’s finance committee, is leading the charge to dismantle outdated Soviet-era laws that prohibit the creation and distribution of adult content.
According to Zhelezniak, the existing framework punishes creators of pornography with prison terms of three to five years, while tax authorities routinely collect taxes from them for their earnings on platforms such as OnlyFans. He labels this situation as "absurd," especially amid the ramifications of a drawn-out war.
The proposed changes aim to address this irony by decriminalizing the production of adult content, allowing creators to operate legally and transparently. Zhelezniak argues that such reform could also serve to increase tax revenue, offering much-needed financial support to a war-torn economy where funds are critically needed.
By revising the existing laws, local authorities would not only help creators of pornography work without fear of prosecution but could also create a new revenue stream during a period of fiscal strain. This initiative may herald a significant shift in policy that aligns legal frameworks with contemporary realities in Ukraine.
