DISINFO: Kiev pushes divisive language law even though 80% of Ukrainians speak Russian
SUMMARY
According to recent opinion polls, more than 80% of Ukrainian citizens speak Russian daily. The new law forcing the use of Ukrainian in the service sector will only serve to divide Ukrainians even further.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative concerning the language issue in Ukraine.
An overview of opinion polls conducted in Ukraine throughout 2020 demonstrates that the claim is very far from the truth. According to an August 2020 survey, 60.9% of respondents said they predominantly used Ukrainian at home (against 36% Russian); 57.2% said they used Ukrainian in the workplace (24.1% used Russian); 73.4% consider Ukrainian their native language (compared with 22% of self-described native Russian speakers); 82.3% agreed that "all state officials should communicate in Ukrainian while at work" (14% disapproved). According to another poll, 66.5% of Ukrainians agree that the government "should facilitate further implementation of the Law on Language," against 19.8% of those opposed.
The rule in question is part of the Law on Language and entered into force on 16 January 2021. The provision designates Ukrainian as the default language of Ukraine's service sector. Crucially, the law states that a language other than Ukrainian may be used to communicate "if the client insists on it, and provided that both sides settle on a mutually acceptable language of communication."