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Most Ukrainians do not need language law — Russian diplomat

Russian Foreign Ministry's official spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that "no one except for radical nationalists needs this controversial language law" in Ukraine

Russian Foreign Ministry's official spokeswoman Maria Zakharova Gavriil Grigorov/TASS

Russian Foreign Ministry's official spokeswoman Maria Zakharova

© Gavriil Grigorov/TASS

MOSCOW, May 28. /TASS/. Most Ukrainians do not need the language law, Russian Foreign Ministry's official spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Tuesday.

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Kremlin hopes Europe will sway Kiev on language law

Earlier Lvov's administration adressed Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky with a demand to speak only Ukrainian language in public.

"Here is a news flash for the Lvov administration — 13.5 million Ukrainians voted for the person who speaks Russian in his personal life, at work, and during the election campaign. This proves something that is already obvious — no one except for radical nationalists needs this controversial language law," Zakharova wrote on her official Facebook account.

On April 24 Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada has adopted a law on Ukrainian language. On May 15 the law was signed by then-President Pyotr Poroshenko. The law obliges citizens to use Ukrainian language in all spheres of life. "Language inspectors" will be tasked with monitoring the implementation of the law. They will be able to attend government sessions, request documents from public organizations and political parties, and assign fines for violations.

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Ukraine crisis Ukraine Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova

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