Ukraine, new education law: more rights for minorities, but Russian speakers remain excluded

Published 2026-11-01

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has promoted a new education law that expands the rights of linguistic minorities present in the country. The reform comes as Ukraine seeks to move closer to the European Union, which has long asked Kyiv to improve the protection of minorities.

According to available information, the new law gives more space to minority languages in the school system. The measure is considered an important step in the path of integration with the EU, because respect for minority rights is one of the conditions required of countries that want to join the European bloc.

However, the law does not grant the same rights to Russian speakers, that is, citizens who speak Russian as their mother tongue. The issue is very delicate, because in Ukraine the Russian language has been at the centre of a heated political and social debate, especially after the full-scale Russian invasion that began in 2022. The Ukrainian government wants to strengthen the use of the Ukrainian language, while many Russian speakers ask to be able to use their own language without restrictions.

In conclusion, the reform shows the difficulty of reconciling closer ties with the European Union with the protection of all the linguistic communities in the country. For Italian readers, the case is an example of how the EU accession process requires deep internal reforms, which can also give rise to new tensions.

Sources: Ore12

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