Ukraine: Ombudswoman Raises Concerns Over Growing Use of Russian Language

GATEOFWISE.COM

Ukraine’s Ombudswoman, Elena Ivanovskaya, has expressed concern about the increasing use of the Russian language among citizens, despite the government’s previous ban on its usage.

In an interview with the Ukrainian outlet RBK, Ivanovskaya said that people have started returning to speaking Russian openly, something she described as alarming.

“A segment of society is going back to using the old language. This is alarming,” she said.

According to Ivanovskaya, in 2022 when Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine citizens deliberately avoided using Russian to show disapproval of Moscow’s actions.

However, she recently noted that even her own daughter uses Russian on social media, adding that many of her followers also primarily use the language.

She explained that teenagers and young adults are increasingly choosing Russian as a way to appear different or unique compared to those who continue using Ukrainian.

Ukraine is currently in talks with platforms such as Spotify and YouTube to prevent Russian-language content whether music, podcasts, or other material from being promoted to Ukrainian users.

Ivanovskaya stressed that it is inappropriate for Russian-language content to be prioritized on these platforms, as this issue touches both on cultural preservation and national security.

At the same time, she admitted that strictly enforcing Ukrainian-language use or coercing citizens to abandon Russian would not work and could even have harmful consequences.

She specifically rejected the idea of appointing “language inspectors,” warning that such measures could destabilize the country and noting that the government also lacks the funds for such an initiative.

Ukraine’s leadership has long invested efforts in encouraging citizens to use Ukrainian instead of Russian in their daily lives.

In 2019, a law was passed making Ukrainian the official language to be used in schools, advertising, business, and government communication.

In 2022, Russian songs were banned from Ukrainian media and public transport, and the import of Russian-language books was also suspended.