DISINFO: Ukraine bans everything Russian, treats ethnic Russians as second-rate citizens
SUMMARY
The official authorities in Ukraine fight against everything Russian. First, they attacked the Russian language, then closed channels that broadcast in Russian, finally they labelled people with Russian roots as second-class citizens. In fact, Ukraine is becoming a Nazi country. All this is a consequence of the coup in 2014.
RESPONSE
This is a recurring disinformation narrative in pro-Kremlin media, trying to portray Kyiv’s recent measures to improve the standing of the Ukrainian language as the oppression of Russian-speaking people, and claiming that Ukraine has become a Russophobic country.
In reality, Ukraine passed Law on ensuring the functioning of the Ukrainian language as a state language in 2019, but this legislation 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, book publishing, the media and education. Therefore, the claim about Russian and other minority languages being discriminated against in Ukraine is groundless.
The fact that the closure of three pro-Kremlin TV channels was levelled at Russian-speaking Ukrainians is unsubstantiated as well. These TV channels -- 112 Ukraine, NewOne and ZIK were closed on 2 February 2021 not because of their oppositional propensity, but because their owner Taras Kozak was hit with sanctions. Kozak is affiliated with Viktor Medvedchuk, a pro-Kremlin politician and leader of the Oppositional Platform for Life party. He is a close friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is the godfather of his daughter. Some believe that these channels in reality belong to Medvedchuk. Both Kozak and Medvedchuk were later charged with high treason.
Russian-speaking Ukrainians, as well as other national minorities, are not second-rate citizens. This claim was shaped by the fact that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has recently submitted to the Verkhovna Rada (parliament) a draft law, "On the indigenous peoples of Ukraine." Pro-Kremlin outlets have claimed that this bill divides all citizens into three categories: ethnic Ukrainians, indigenous peoples, and others. This is not true, because the bill is aimed at protecting three peoples who are indigenous to Crimea and who are threatened due to Russia's discriminatory policy in the illegally annexed Ukrainian peninsula. These ethnic communities are Crimean Tatars, Karaites and Krymchaks. This bill is not aimed against other ethnic groups who live in Ukraine and enjoy equal rights, regardless of their ethnic origin.
All said, the Kremlin’s claims that Ukraine is a Russophobic Nazi country, where peoples other than ethnic Ukrainians are oppressed and treated as second-rate citizens, are absolutely groundless.
Read more similar disinformation narratives, claiming that Ukraine is a Nazi Russophobic country.