Russia Urges UN, OSCE to Assess New Ukrainian-Language Education Law

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia has called on human rights institutions at the UN, the OSCE, and the Council of Europe to evaluate a law passed by the Ukrainian parliament limiting the extent to which children can be educated in the languages of Ukraine’s national minorities, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Saturday.

“We regret to note that, despite the recommendations of the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe to ‘ensure the necessary balance’ in the language sphere, and the promises of the Ukrainian authorities to fulfill this, nothing has changed in reality. The Russian language continues to be subjected to double discrimination [in Ukraine]”, the ministry’s statement said.

The statement also outlined that Russia will appeal to leading international organisations to get their assessment of the law, which is still to be signed by President Volodymyr Zelensky.

“We urge the international human rights institutions at the UN, OSCE, and the Council of Europe to provide an adequate assessment of the Ukrainian authorities’ actions", the ministry statement read.

On Thursday, the Ukrainian parliament adopted a law that could significantly limit the use of minority languages, including Russian, in Ukrainian schools.