Latest news with #Ukrainization
Russia Today
29-07-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Ukrainian students speaking Russian more often
Students in Ukraine are increasingly speaking Russian, according to a state university lecturer. The reported surge comes despite Kiev's ongoing 'Ukrainization' campaign aimed at eliminating the native language of around a quarter of the population from schools, media and public life. The remarks were made by Ekaterina Nikonyuk of Boris Grinchenko Kiev University, who told TV channel on Tuesday that more students are speaking Russian compared to previous years, although she did not provide specific figures. 'This shows that language ombudsmen are falling short and that the state isn't doing enough to promote Ukrainian – instead of simply banning Russian,' Nikonyuk stated. She blamed Ukrainian public figures for using Russian, warning that their influence risks discouraging young people from learning the state language. 'When bloggers and celebrities – followed by millions – say that 'their jaws aren't set up for Ukrainian,' it's demotivating,' she added. In 2019, the Ukrainian parliament passed a law requiring Ukrainian to be used exclusively in nearly all aspects of public life. There are limited exemptions for certain ethnic minorities, including Hungarians and Crimean Tatars, but not for the largest minority group – ethnic Russians. A significant portion of the population, particularly in eastern regions, speaks or understands both languages. Around 40% of the Ukrainian population spoke Russian as their primary language back in 2012, and approximately 26% at the end of 2021, according to polls. As of 2024, only 12% admitted they exclusively speak Russian at home. The language debate has long divided Ukraine and was a contributing factor in the 2014 Western-backed Euromaidan coup. Since then, the government has curtailed Russian language rights and accelerated efforts to sever cultural ties with Moscow, especially after hostilities escalated in February 2022. Ukraine's former language ombudsman, Taras Kremen, has acknowledged that many Ukrainian citizens remain uncertain about which language they primarily identify with. His successor, Elena Ivanovskaya, has branded the Russian language a 'tool of destabilization.' Moscow has repeatedly denounced Ukraine's crackdown on Russian language and culture, insisting that 'forced Ukrainization' violates international law and infringes upon the rights of native Russian speakers.
Russia Today
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Ukrainian teachers told to pretend they can't speak Russian
Ukraine's education ombudsman has advised schoolteachers to act as if they only understand Ukrainian when speaking with students. Kiev mandates the use of Ukrainian in most aspects of public life, despite a significant portion of the population speaking Russian as their native tongue. In an interview on Monday, Nadezhda Lishchik said her office had received complaints from school administrators about students who refused to speak Ukrainian during breaks. While teachers are required to speak Ukrainian at all times, students are allowed to use any language outside of the classroom. 'My advice was: 'You are not obliged to know a foreign language, unless you teach one, like English or German. You have full right to say you don't understand and insist on being addressed in the same language you use during classes.' You can influence students in a gentle way,' Lishchik said. The Ukrainization of public life has been a major policy focus for the government since the Western-backed armed coup in Kiev in 2014. Ukrainian law mandates the use of the state language in media, commerce and education. There are limited exemptions for some ethnic minorities, including Hungarians and Crimean Tatars, but not for the largest minority group, ethnic Russians. Despite the measures, research indicates that Russian remains widely used. A 2024 online content analysis reported by the Ukrainskaya Pravda newspaper found that while nearly 80% of Ukrainian posts on Facebook last year were in the state language, only 47% of TikTok clips were – a drop from 55% in 2023. Facebook's user base in Ukraine tends to be older, while TikTok is more popular with younger people. Kiev's difficulty encouraging children to use Ukrainian was also acknowledged last year by then-language ombudsman Taras Kremen, who lamented that just 39% of schoolchildren spoke Ukrainian at home, with even fewer using it among friends. Russian officials have accused Kiev of discriminating against ethnic Russians as part of what they call radical nationalist policies. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has described the Ukrainization campaign as a 'legislative extermination' of Russian culture.
Russia Today
15-06-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Ukrainian official sends police after Russian-language singer
Ukraine's language ombudsman has called for a police probe into singer Verka Serduchka's recent Kiev concert, where several songs were performed in Russian. Language commissioner Taras Kremin cited possible violations of state law and a 2023 Kiev ban on public performances in Russian; some artists say the measures restrict cultural freedom. The concert included several Russian-language songs performed by Verka Serduchka, a drag act created by Ukrainian artist Andrey Danilko, who gained recognition after placing second at Eurovision 2007. 'There are signs of a serious violation,' Kremin said Saturday, calling on police to investigate. 'It's not just about the law, but about national dignity. And there will be consequences.' Ukrainian law mandates the use of the state language at cultural events, though exceptions are allowed for other languages if deemed artistically justified. Enforcement has been uneven, with some artists facing legal pressure for using Russian. Serduchka's shows have been scrutinized before. After a May 2024 concert featuring Russian songs, Kremin said no laws were broken but hoped such incidents would encourage the broader use of Ukrainian. Danilko has defended his use of Russian, calling it 'a tool for communication' and arguing it's hard to exclude in a bilingual society. In a 2024 interview with the Latvian broadcaster LTV, he said Ukraine's leadership aims to 'destroy the Russian language.' Ukraine's 'Ukrainization' campaign is aimed at promoting Ukrainian in schools, media, and public life. Critics say it pressures artists and institutions to abandon Russian, which is still widely spoken across much of the country. In March, Kremin said many Ukrainians remain unsure which language they consider primary, noting a decline in Ukrainian use, especially in schools, and urged the Education Ministry to act. A significant portion of the population, particularly in eastern regions, speaks or understands both languages. The language debate has long divided Ukraine, contributing to tensions that led to the 2014 Western-backed Euromaidan coup. Since then, the government has curtailed Russian language rights and accelerated efforts to sever cultural ties with Moscow, especially after hostilities escalated in February 2022. Russia has consistently criticized Ukraine's language policies, asserting that they infringe upon the rights of the Russian-speaking population.
Russia Today
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Zelensky admits Ukraine can't reclaim Crimea by force
Ukraine does not possess the military might necessary to retake Crimea by force, Vladimir Zelensky has conceded. The peninsula joined Russia in 2014 following a referendum. The vote was held in the wake of a Western-backed coup in Kiev earlier that year and amid fears of forced Ukrainization of the predominantly Russian-speaking region. Ukraine has continued to claim sovereignty over Crimea, repeatedly vowing to take it back. On Friday, Interfax-Ukraine quoted Zelensky as saying that 'it's true what President Trump says… that Ukraine does not have enough weapons to regain control of the Crimean Peninsula by force.' The Ukrainian leader expressed hope however that further sanctions and diplomatic pressure on Russia would be conducive to future discussions over 'territorial issues,' but only after Kiev and Moscow have sealed a ceasefire. In an interview with Time Magazine published on Friday, US President Donald Trump stated that 'Crimea will stay with Russia' under any peace deal, adding that Zelensky also understands this. Trump went on to claim that the peninsula was 'given' to Russia by former US President Barack Obama, and has 'been with them for a long time.' He also noted that the majority of Crimeans speak Russian. In a post on his Truth Social platform later that day, Trump claimed that Ukraine and Russia 'are very close to a deal, and the two sides should now meet, at very high levels, to 'finish it off'.' According to media reports, the agreement proposed by Washington includes US recognition of Russian sovereignty over Crimea, a 'freezing' of the conflict along the current front line, and acknowledgment of Moscow's control over large parts of the four former Ukrainian regions that voted to join Russia. Zelensky, by contrast, reiterated on Friday that Kiev's 'position is unchanged: only the Ukrainian people have the right to decide which territories are Ukrainian.' That same day, the Washington Post, citing anonymous sources, reported that European leaders were pressing Ukraine to accept the likelihood that it would be forced to cede certain territories to Russia as part of a peace accord during a high-level meeting in London on Wednesday. According to the newspaper, Western negotiators have a sense that Ukraine 'may be willing to endure effective Russian control of Crimea,' as long as Kiev is not required to legally recognize it as such.
Russia Today
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Zelensky acknowledges Ukraine can't retake Crimea militarily
Ukraine does not possess the military might necessary to retake Crimea by force, Vladimir Zelensky has conceded. The peninsula joined Russia in 2014 following a referendum. The vote was held in the wake of a Western-backed coup in Kiev earlier that year and amid fears of forced Ukrainization of the predominantly Russian-speaking region. Ukraine has continued to claim sovereignty over Crimea, repeatedly vowing to take it back. On Friday, Interfax-Ukraine quoted Zelensky as saying that 'it's true what President Trump says… that Ukraine does not have enough weapons to regain control of the Crimean Peninsula by force.' The Ukrainian leader expressed hope however that further sanctions and diplomatic pressure on Russia would be conducive to future discussions over 'territorial issues,' but only after Kiev and Moscow have sealed a ceasefire. In an interview with Time Magazine published on Friday, US President Donald Trump stated that 'Crimea will stay with Russia' under any peace deal, adding that Zelensky also understands this. Trump went on to claim that the peninsula was 'given' to Russia by former US President Barack Obama, and has 'been with them for a long time.' He also noted that the majority of Crimeans speak Russian. In a post on his Truth Social platform later that day, Trump claimed that Ukraine and Russia 'are very close to a deal, and the two sides should now meet, at very high levels, to 'finish it off'.' According to media reports, the agreement proposed by Washington includes US recognition of Russian sovereignty over Crimea, a 'freezing' of the conflict along the current front line, and acknowledgment of Moscow's control over large parts of the four former Ukrainian regions that voted to join Russia. Zelensky, by contrast, reiterated on Friday that Kiev's 'position is unchanged: only the Ukrainian people have the right to decide which territories are Ukrainian.' That same day, the Washington Post, citing anonymous sources, reported that European leaders were pressing Ukraine to accept the likelihood that it would be forced to cede certain territories to Russia as part of a peace accord during a high-level meeting in London on Wednesday. According to the newspaper, Western negotiators have a sense that Ukraine 'may be willing to endure effective Russian control of Crimea,' as long as Kiev is not required to legally recognize it as such.
