The Commissioner for the Protection of the State Language, Olena Ivanovska, has called for the abolition of the special status of the Russian language in Ukraine’s legislation. She emphasized the importance of this step in eliminating inequality in the state’s language policy.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Arguments for Reviewing the Status of the Russian Language
During an interview, Olena Ivanovska noted that the Russian language, in the context of the ongoing armed aggression from the Russian Federation, has become not only a means of communication but also a tool for destabilizing society. She stressed that maintaining the special status of this language creates symbolic inequality in legislation that needs to be addressed.
“It is necessary to eliminate symbolic inequality in legislation, particularly by abolishing the special status of the Russian language, which, in the context of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation, is not only a means of communication but also a tool for destabilization,” she said.
Constitutional Provisions on Language Rights
According to the Constitution of Ukraine, the state language is Ukrainian. At the same time, Article 10 of the Fundamental Law explicitly mentions the Russian language, which is guaranteed “free development, use, and protection,” just like other languages of national minorities. Thus, Russian remains the only language, apart from Ukrainian, explicitly stated in the Constitution, which gives rise to discussions about the necessity of reviewing its status.
Ivanovska’s statement prompts further discussions on changes in Ukraine’s language policy in the context of ongoing Russian aggression and the need to protect national identity.