Ukrainian Parliament Strips Russian of Protected Language Status.
Verkhovna Rada’s Decision
According to Espreso.tv: Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, has voted to remove Russian from the list of languages protected under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. The decision was announced by parliamentary speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk.
The European Charter, adopted in 1992, was ratified by Ukraine in 2003. Under the new measure, lawmakers voted in December 2025 to exclude Russian from the charter’s protections. A total of 264 deputies supported the move.
Why This Matters
This step marks a significant shift in Ukraine’s language policy, reflecting broader societal and political changes amid the ongoing conflict with Russia and efforts to strengthen national identity. The removal could reshape language dynamics in regions where Russian is widely spoken and is likely to spark debate over minority language rights in Ukraine.
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