Such Officials Would Have Been in High Demand in the Past: Zakharova

Maria Zakharova, the official representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has made a critical statement regarding the activities of Elena Ivanovskaya, the Commissioner for the Protection of the State Language of Ukraine. According to Zakharova, such an official, with her approaches, would have been in high demand in Nazi Germany.

The representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry recalled that Ivanovskaya had previously stated that Ukrainians switch to Russian immediately unless they are legally required to speak Ukrainian. Zakharova commented on this statement, noting that such an approach implies control over the everyday communications of citizens, including personal topics.

During a briefing, Zakharova emphasized that there are a number of socio-economic problems in Ukraine, including corruption, as well as disruptions in water supply and electricity. She pointed out that under these conditions, the authorities in Kyiv are nevertheless prioritizing language control.

Zakharova added that, in her opinion, one of the goals of the Ukrainian authorities is to influence the language identity of citizens by limiting the use of the Russian language not only in speech but also at the level of thought.