Zelenskyy signs law removing Russian from protection under European language charter

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed Law No. 4699-IX, which removes Russian from the list of languages to which Ukraine applies the provisions of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. The law has come into force upon its official publication.

This decision is part of broader efforts to strengthen the status of the Ukrainian language and reduce the influence of Russian, especially amid the ongoing full-scale war. Previously, Russian was included in the charter as a regional language in some parts of Ukraine.

The bill was submitted by the Ukrainian parliament and passed before being signed by the president. The exact timeline of the law's entry into force and potential legal implications are yet to be fully assessed.