The Ukrainian language is the only national language in the country, but its development should be driven by incentives and success stories, and not through prohibitions and punishments, Ukraine's President-elect Volodymyr Zelensky has said.

"The Ukrainian language is the only national language in Ukraine. So it was, and so it will be. On this issue, there are no compromises. The state should take care of the development of the Ukrainian language, of expanding the scope of its use. This is absolutely true, the whole society agrees," says a statement issued by his press service to cite Zelensky on the adoption of the draft law on ensuring the functioning of the Ukrainian language.

Zelensky said the only issue is the methods by which this strategic course is implemented.

"My principled position is that the state should contribute to the development of the Ukrainian language by creating incentives and positive examples, not prohibitions and punishments, complicating bureaucratic procedures, by multiplying the number of officials instead of reducing them," he said.