Via Interfax-Ukraine:

“It is necessary to finally once and for all restrict the Russian-language cultural product on the territory of the capital of Ukraine. In fact, it is envisaged to prohibit public coverage and demonstration of Russian-language goods and services created in the process of carrying out activities in the field of culture. These are books, art albums, audiovisual works, musical sound recordings, handicrafts, theatrical and circus performances, concerts and cultural and educational services. Russian is the language of the aggressor country, and it has no place in the heart of our capital,” the press service of [Kiev] City Council quoted chairman of the Standing Committee on Education and Science, Youth and Sports Vadym Vasylchuk. [all errors in the original; all emphasis mine. —Ed.]

This is revisionist bullshit. Kiev is a historically Russian-speaking city. Are the ethnic Russians and Russian-speaking Ukrainians now “aggressors”? Is Zelensky an “aggressor” since his first language is Russian and produced most of his TV and film output in Russian? Note, too, that this is about content in the Russian language, not necessarily pro-Putin-regime content.

Now musicians are banned from publicly singing in Russian in Kiev. What’s next, speaking Russian at home? Since when is Ukraine a bastion of democracy?

I want Putin out of Ukraine. But I cannot endorse stunts like this. All this does is play into Putin’s narrative about “oppressed Russian-speakers.”