All articles tagged with #language rights
Interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa issued a decree recognizing Kurdish as a national language and designating Nowruz as a national holiday, vowing to protect Kurdish cultural and linguistic rights and allowing Kurdish instruction in schools in areas with significant Kurdish populations, as Kurdish-led forces redeploy and talks with the United States continue.
The ethnic Hungarian residents of Berehove, Ukraine, are refusing to be "hostages" to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's EU policy. Orban has threatened to block Ukraine's EU membership talks over language rights issues, but many ethnic Hungarians in Berehove believe they should behave as citizens of Ukraine and not rely on Orban to defend their interests. Despite Hungary's financial support to the region, the ethnic Hungarians in Zakarpattya have distanced themselves from Orban's positions on the Russian invasion of Ukraine. They see themselves as Ukrainians and are willing to defend their motherland.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has stated that his government will not support Ukraine in any international issue until the language rights of ethnic Hungarians in Ukraine are restored. Orban criticized a 2017 law passed by Kyiv that restricts the use of minority languages in schools, arguing that it curbs the rights of ethnic Hungarians to use their native tongue, particularly in education. This statement comes as the European Union considers whether to begin discussions on Ukraine's potential inclusion in the bloc, a decision that requires unanimous backing from all 27 member countries. Orban's stance suggests that Kyiv may face obstacles in its path to EU integration.
Russia's deputy foreign minister has outlined Moscow's conditions for peace in Ukraine, including Ukraine adopting a neutral, non-bloc status, recognizing "new territorial realities," and protecting the rights of Russian-speaking citizens and minorities by making Russian a state language. Russia had not previously demanded that Ukraine not join the EU or make Russian a state language. The Ukrainian leadership has stated that the war will only end after Russian troops withdraw from Ukrainian territory.