The head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov, will pay a fine for using Russian while performing his official duties. The violation was committed on November 2 in Petropavlivska Borshchahivka near Kyiv, where Budanov had arrived following clashes between civilians and National Guard servicemen.
During a conversation with a 14-year-old teenager, Budanov switched from Ukrainian to Russian. Footage of the conversation was made public and sparked criticism in Ukraine. Under Ukrainian law, state officials are required to use Ukrainian when performing their official duties.
Ukraine’s language ombudswoman, Olena Ivanovska, said that a conversation had been held with Budanov and that he had acknowledged the violation. “The fact of the violation was acknowledged without any attempts to seek excuses or resort to defensive reactions. The fine provided for by law will be paid within the prescribed period,” Ivanovska said.
She called for the case not to become a pretext for harassment on social media and stressed that the matter should be resolved in accordance with the established legal procedure. The amount of the fine has not been announced, and the ombudswoman’s statement also does not make clear exactly when the sanction order will be issued.
Zakharova’s Ironic Reaction
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova commented on the case after the video was circulated. She posed a series of ironic questions, including: “How much will Budanov be fined?”
Zakharova also asked whether Budanov’s official position, the teenager’s age and the role of the media outlets that broadcast the footage would be taken into account when determining the sanction.
Sources: pravda.com.ua, radiosvoboda.org, tass.ru