KYIV – The language issue has recently flared up again in Ukraine. What is behind it and how seriously should it be taken?
Certainly, scenes from the middle of July of hundreds of protesters, gathered outside the Verkhovna Rada to defend the Ukrainian language against alleged attempts to weaken its official position, suggested that another major battle over this perennially sensitive issue is under way.
On the other hand, reassuring statements from the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and other key figures in his administration have indicated that the fears are exaggerated and there is no need for patriotic forces to over-react.