DISINFO: Ukraine gave a “clear signal” that the country is exclusively for Ukrainians
SUMMARY
Ukrainian authorities gave a “clear signal” to the whole world that Ukraine is exclusively for Ukrainians when they prohibited the Russian language and the languages of national minorities.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation message about the Russian language in Ukraine. The claim that Ukraine is discriminating against the Russian language and Russian-speakers is false.
The claim was made as a reaction to the recent announcement of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, stating that Ukraine has approved the Strategy for Deoccupation & Reintegration of Crimea. The disinformation message falls in line with the Kremlin’s favourite rhetorical device of “whataboutism” aiming to deflect attention from the upcoming seventh anniversary of Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea.
The claim about Ukraine discriminating against the Russian language has been shaped since the Ukrainian Law on ensuring the functioning of the Ukrainian language as a state language has been passed in 2019. The law, per se, does not discriminate against any languages. Russian, as well as other languages, can be used in private communication and religious ceremonies, book publishing, the press, including radio and television, education and the service sector. The law allows the use of other languages in the healthcare system and in law enforcement.
Similarly, Ukraine’s legislation on education does not cut any rights of national minorities. The law on the use of the Ukrainian language does not infringe on their rights either. These laws only aim to strengthen the position of the Ukrainian language in Ukrainian society, as well as ensuring the minorities’ rights.
Read similar cases, incl. descriptions of the language law, debunking claims that Ukraine and the Baltic States discriminate against the Russian language, that citizens of Ukraine are extremely negative about the law that bans the Russian language, or that Ukrainisation is about political terror and Russophobia in Ukraine.