Mikk_UA_🇺🇦

Vyshyvannik Webs - Tidbit #001 Interesting framing, but this is misleading at best and outright wrong at worst: The 2012 Kivalov-Kolesnichenko Law (No. 5029-VI) granted Russian (and other minority languages) official regional status in areas where they were spoken by 10%+ of the population. The day after the Rada removed Yanukovych with a 328-0 vote (violating Article 111), they then voted the very next day, on February 23, 2014 to repeal the Kivalov-Kolesnichenko Law, 232-0. Although it is true that the Acting President Oleksandr Turchynov vetoed the repeal eight days later on March 3, 2014, it is also true that in 2018, Ukraine’s Constitutional Court declared the Kivalov-Kolesnichenko Law unconstitutional (on technical grounds), thus finally removing both the de facto and de jure protected status that Russian enjoyed to that point. Since 2017, Ukraine has passed a steady stream of laws that achieved exactly what the 2012 law prevented: 2017 Education Law (No. 2145-VIII) – restricted minority languages to primary school only. 2019 State Language Law (No. 2704-VIII) – made Ukrainian mandatory in public administration, media, services, education (beyond primary), and most public spheres, with fines for non-compliance. 2021 Language Ombudsman (No. 2704-VIII) to enforce the above. 2022 Laws (No. 2310-IX, No. 2309-IX) – The first of which banned public performance and broadcasting of Russian music (unless on a special “white list”) and severely restricted Russian-language books and imports. Since 2014-2017, therefore, Russian has become heavily restricted in government, education, media, culture, literature, and business with the above-mentioned laws explicitly doing that and the Ombudsman there to enforce it. Pretending these events did not happen and/or that they are not a pretext for the internal conflict and/or Russian aggravation, is inaccurate. They must also not, in any way, be used as a justification for Russian invasion - nothing justifies the illegal invasion. In conclusion, yes, Ukraine has conducted de jure dismantling of Russian protections and replaced them with laws that mandate use of Ukrainian in nearly every public sphere. For Ukrainian-identifying families that have spoken Russian in their Oblasts for a century or longer, how is this to be perceived if not as a ban on Russian? Do explain. #Ukraine #Russia #RussiaUkraineConflict

Today, we announced $270 million of new military support to Ukraine. Ukraine’s fight is our fight. Their cause — freedom, democracy, sovereignty — is our cause. Good to see President @ZelenskyyUa today in Yerevan. 🇨🇦🇺🇦

@JohnReed_1917