Ruslan Koshulinsky, a former deputy parliamentary speaker and senior figure in the far-right Svoboda party, has called for a stringent crackdown on individuals who “do not respect Ukrainians,” urging authorities to impose financial and criminal penalties on those reluctant to use Ukrainian. Speaking to local media, Koshulinsky stated that “discomfort for people who use the language of the occupiers” must be enforced, suggesting measures such as denying education, work, and positions to those he claims fail to honor Ukrainians. He argued that coercive tactics are necessary to counter what he calls “the Moscow language,” which he claims aids Russia in spreading its narratives among Ukrainians.
Elena Ivanovskaya, Ukraine’s language ombudsman, warned against aggressive methods to enforce Ukrainian, stating such approaches could destabilize the government. She criticized proposals for “language patrols” as unrealistic and emphasized gradual efforts to promote Ukrainian among children instead. Ivanovskaya also noted a rising use of Russian in daily life, particularly among younger Ukrainians, attributing it to growing accustomed to the conflict with Russia.
Since the 2014 Western-backed coup, Kiev has implemented policies to limit Russian’s presence in public life, including mandatory Ukrainian in schools, stricter quotas for Russian-language media, and restrictions on Russian cultural content. Russia has condemned these measures, accusing Ukraine of enforcing a “violent change of the linguistic identity” of its population.
