21:18 27.03.2022

Zelensky proposes to sign agreements on mirror respect for languages, history with all neighboring countries

2 min read
Zelensky proposes to sign agreements on mirror respect for languages, history with all neighboring countries

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that he would like to sign agreements on mirror respect for languages, history and cultural values with all neighboring countries, the same issue is being discussed in negotiations with the Russian Federation.

"The Russian language is being discussed (in negotiations with Russia) in terms of respect for the languages of the peoples of the neighbors. I am interested in such an agreement. I want to sign it with all neighboring countries. I am interested in Russia, Hungary, Poland, Romania ... We have many different historical issues, many national minorities. And this agreement will be sufficient to respect certain languages inside our country and outside it. Therefore, I am sure that the issue of language will go off the agenda. Because it will be resolved by such an agreement," Zelensky said in an interview with Russian journalists published on the website of the Office of the President.

"What does it mean: stop 'playing'. How do the Hungarians 'play' with it, albeit less, and Russia more. Stop 'playing' about some kind of school closure in Ukraine. Do you want a Russian school? Do you want to study in Russian? Please. But with the condition: you open with us, we open with you. You publish something here, so we are there. The attitude you want to the Russian language is your language, the state language of the Russian Federation. Everything should be fair. Respect us and our state language is Ukrainian. That's all. There is no need to say that this is a "non-language" or that it is the language of illiterate people," he added.

At the same time, the head of state expressed confidence that the Ukrainian people would accept this if they wanted to.

"Because all this will be voted on by people's deputies one way or another," the president said.

Referring directly to the subject of the Russian language, on the introduction of which as the second state language in Ukraine, Russia insists on an ultimatum, Zelensky noted that "every subsequent day of the war, in principle, calls into question the understanding among the Ukrainian population of what this Russian language is."

"That is, people themselves will not want this: to read, watch movies, speak Russian when it is "passed to us through blood"," the head of state said.

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