The statement below was released by the Ukrainian World Congress on July 15.
The Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) shares the concerns of civil society and the global Ukrainian community about increased systemic pressure on the Ukrainian language as the one state language. In particular, the UWC strongly opposes “Russification” proposals included in the provocative draft law №2362 which bring a potential divide in Ukrainian society.
The UWC consistently emphasizes the importance of establishing Ukrainian as the only official state language and the need to strengthen its position in education and other areas. It is the language that unites the Ukrainian world and fosters the upbringing of new generations of conscious Ukrainians, both in Ukraine and in the diaspora. The Ukrainian World Congress resolutely condemns any attempt to weaken the position of Ukrainian as the only state language and opposes the politicization of the language issue.
We warn the Ukrainian authorities and representatives of all political forces against playing into the hands of our common enemy – the Russian occupier. The UWC also warns against using language policy issues in the inter-party election campaign.
“Language is the basis for state-building and security of the Ukrainian nation. Many generations of Ukrainians have fought for the right to speak their native language in their native land, and today the defenders of Ukraine are giving their lives for this right. Systemic attacks on the state language threaten the united identity of the Ukrainian nation and open the door to the ‘Russkiy Mir,’ ” stated Paul Grod, UWC president. “We must remember that the protection and support of the Ukrainian language today is part of the national security of our tomorrow.”