KIEV (Sputnik) — In mid-May, the Ukrainian parliament passed a bill, introducing the administrative punishment, including fines and arrests, for manufacturing and wearing of the ribbon in Ukraine. According to Ukrainian lawmakers, since 2014 the St. George's ribbon has been used by "pro-Russian separatists on the territory of Ukraine and became a symbol of separatism in Ukraine."
"45 percent of the respondents support a ban on the "heorhievska" ribbon in Ukraine, almost 40 percent — do not support, 17 percent — undecided. The most supported the ban is in the West, among young and middle-aged people, and the voters of Svoboda [nationalist party]," the Rating Group Ukraine found out in the survey for the "Focus" magazine.
The poll was conducted among 3,000 adult Ukrainians between May 22-31.
The St. George's ribbon is a widely recognized military symbol in Russia. It is also used by civilians as a patriotic symbol and as a symbol of public support to the Russian government, particularly since 2014. The ribbon first became associated with the Victory Day celebrations in Russia in 2005.
