[lg policy] Yushchenko on status of Russian in Ukraine

[Harold Schiffman]

Yushchenko on status of Russian in Ukraine

Speaking to 5th Kanal TV, Ex-Pres Viktor Yushchenko said there can’t
be two state languages in a unitary state, Ukrayinska Pravda reports
Jan. 15.


In a unitary state there can’t be two state languages. Ukraine is not
a confederation like Switzerland. Nor is Ukraine a federation like
several countries in Europe where there are two state languages.
Ukraine is a unitary country, and nowhere in the world will you come
across a unitary country with two state languages, Yushchenko argued.

Viktor Yanukovych’s and the cabinet’s language policy in 2010 did not
help to unite Ukrainians, Yushchenko warned. “Their policy did not
unite the Ukrainians, and it was pursued deliberately. It indicates
the lack of awareness by the regime of a language importance on the
scale of national values,” Yushchenko said. “Those playing with the
[Ukrainian] language are doomed to lose the hardest base for cementing
a nation. The regime does not seem to understand this,” the
ex-president argued.

“ The problem of Ukraine is not centered on Tabachnyk who pedals
raising the status of Russian, although I completely share the view
taken of Tabachnyk by Ukrainians. The problem is that there are
approximately 12-13 millions of [Russian-speaking] who support
Tabachnyk,” Yushchenko concluded.

http://zik.com.ua/en/news/2011/01/15/266939

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