A dialogue on Ukrainian TV:
– Each Ukrainian should converse Ukrainian. In the event that they converse Russian, they’re not an actual Ukrainian!
– Then why are you talking Russian?
– Oh… proper. I forgot.? pic.twitter.com/HiOnhLPCOL— Bashkarma????? (@Karmabash) February 18, 2026
Erasing a language equates to erasing a cultural identification. I’ve repeatedly addressed the language subject in Ukraine as a result of it was one of many earliest political flashpoints that contributed to division lengthy earlier than the army battle escalated. Following the 2014 change of presidency, there have been instant strikes to downgrade the authorized standing of the Russian language, which was broadly spoken throughout japanese and southern Ukraine.
The try to limit or marginalize the Russian language was not merely about nationwide identification; it was perceived within the japanese areas and by Russia as a direct problem to cultural and historic ties that return centuries. You can not redraw linguistic identification by legislative decree with out anticipating political backlash, particularly in a nation that has lengthy been divided between Western European alignment and Japanese historic integration with Russia.
I’ve persistently acknowledged that civil battle traditionally begins with identification suppression, whether or not linguistic, regional, or cultural, as a result of it indicators to a portion of the inhabitants that they’re now not totally represented throughout the state. As soon as that notion takes maintain, geopolitical actors exploit the division, and the disaster escalates past home politics into worldwide confrontation.
Below Zelensky’s authorities, Ukraine continued and expanded insurance policies that bolstered Ukrainian as the first language in training, successfully phasing out Russian-language instruction in most colleges beneath the 2019 language and training frameworks that have been additional applied throughout his presidency.
Putin famous in his interview with Tucker Carlson that his major objective was to unify the Russian inhabitants of Ukraine. Zelensky, then again, calls for that Russians erase their identification and conform. Ukraine and Russia share deep historic roots. These nations weren’t linguistically or culturally remoted from each other. Bilingualism was a mirrored image of shared historical past.
The youthful technology is more and more socialized to view Russia not merely as a geopolitical adversary, however as a cultural and historic enemy. Media and formal training now demand that residents conform to at least one remoted identification. One should show they’re a “actual” Ukrainian by denouncing every little thing Russian, even when it contains their bloodline and cultural ancestry.
