Kyiv, Ukraine - President Volodymyr Zelensky has come out in favor of legalizing same-sex partnerships in Ukraine.

Zelensky made the remarks in response to an online petition calling for same-sex marriage to be introduced in the country. More than 28,000 people have signed the petition since early June.

In a written response on Tuesday, the Ukrainian president said that as things stand, his country's constitution defines marriage as a bond between a man and a woman.

He added that under martial law, which the country has been under in the wake of its armed conflict with Russia, the constitution cannot currently be changed.

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But he also revealed that the Ukrainian government had already prepared options for the legalization of registered partnerships in the future.

In the modern world, Zelensky insisted, a country demonstrated its democratic values by ensuring equal rights for all.

Although traditional views on gender roles and sexual orientation have seen LGBTQ+ people in Ukraine treated with suspicion and sometimes outright hostility, a study published in June said Ukrainians had "dramatically improved their attitudes" in the past years.