The discussion of the language law in Ukraine provoked on Saturday, January 16, a clash of deputies of the Verkhovna Rada on the air of the Ukrainian TV channel “Nash”.
People’s Deputy of the VI convocation Kirill Kulikov on the air criticized the methods of the authorities for the popularization and development of the Ukrainian language in the country, and also stated that attempts to isolate themselves from the Russian language were inexpedient.
“It’s just development, there’s no going anywhere. Civilizationally, the audience of the Russian language is much larger … The preservation of the Ukrainian language is needed, this should be done by the state, ”he said, comparing the support of the Ukrainian language at the present time with“ an elephant in a shop ”.
In response, Yuriy Kamelchuk, a member of the Servant of the People faction, called on “not to compare Ukraine with a shop,” and further the discussion slipped into mutual insults, in particular, Kamelchuk called his opponent “haml and cattle”. Also, during the argument, he got up and went to the chair where Kulikov was sitting, only the hosts of the program managed to calm him down.
“There are simply market demands. This does not mean that the language is good or bad. Anyone who wants to enter the market will use the most common language. Today it is Chinese, Arabic, English and Russian, ”concluded Kulikov.
On Saturday, on the territory of Ukraine, the requirement of the article of the law “On ensuring the functioning of the Ukrainian language as the state language” came into force, according to which employees of supermarkets, restaurants, cafes, sports clubs, hairdressers and other institutions in the service sector were obliged to serve visitors only in Ukrainian.
On April 25, 2019, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted in the final reading the law “On ensuring the functioning of the Ukrainian language as the state language.” In May, it was signed by the ex-president of the country Petro Poroshenko. The document provided for the creation of a special “language commission”, as well as the introduction of the position of the commissioner for his defense, which is now occupied by Taras Kremin. The same law proposed to introduce exams for officials that determine the level of knowledge of the Ukrainian language, and to fine for violation of the law. The fine ranges from 5.1 thousand hryvnia ($ 184) to 6.8 thousand hryvnia ($ 245).