DISINFO: Russian language is banned in Ukrainian regions controlled by the Kyiv junta
SUMMARY
The Russian language is banned in Ukrainian regions controlled by the Kyiv junta.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about alleged Russophobia in Ukraine. This claim is made in the context of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.
Ukraine passed a law on ensuring the functioning of the Ukrainian language as a state language in 2019, but this law only regulates the use of Ukrainian in the public spheres of life. Russian and other languages of national minorities can be freely used in private communication, religious ceremonies, in publishing, media and education. Therefore, the claim about Russian and other minority languages being discriminated against in Ukraine is manipulative.
Furthermore, Ukraine is a signatory to the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, which guarantees that people in Ukraine have the right: "to use freely and without interference his or her minority language, in private and in public, orally and in writing".
As for the "Kyiv junta", this is a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative painting the post-2014 Ukrainian leadership as a Nazi/Fascist "junta," which allegedly came to power following a violent coup d'etat.
Ukraine is not governed by a junta. Democratic, competitive and generally well-organised presidential and parliamentary elections were held in 2014 and local elections in 2015. The OSCE, which observed all these elections on the ground, characterised the presidential elections as showing the "clear resolve of the authorities to hold what was a genuine election largely in line with international commitments and with a respect for fundamental freedoms."
The 2019 early parliamentary elections, according to the preliminary statement of the OSCE, were efficiently run and respected fundamental freedoms. The European Parliament election observation delegation to Ukraine said in a statement that notwithstanding the fact that the elections were taking place a few months earlier than planned, one can undoubtedly say that they were competitive, well-administered and managed in an efficient way.
Read more similar disinformation narratives, claiming that Ukraine is a Nazi Russophobic country.