THE LEGAL STATUS OF LANGUAGE IN THE CONTEXT OF NATIONAL IDENTITY AND INFORMATION SECURITY: IMPLEMENTATION CRITERIA AND CHALLENGES FACING THE UKRAINIAN MEDIA LANDSCAPE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32782/2307-1222.2026-62-1Keywords:
language policy, state language, media legislation, Media Law, Ukrainophobia, information security, media regulationAbstract
The article presents a comprehensive interdisciplinary analysis of the legal mechanisms for protecting the state language in the Ukrainian media space under conditions of full-scale armed aggression. The study proceeds from the premise that the language issue in Ukraine has acquired the dimension of national security: it is not merely a subject of legal regulation, but also an arena of information-psychological warfare in which strategies of demeaning the state language, falsifying national history, and distorting national identity are deliberately employed. The author argues that these threats require a response at several levels: legislative, institutional, and media-related. The methodological framework comprises a systematic analysis of legislative acts, comparative legal and teleological methods of interpretation, and a content analysis of specific cases of law enforcement. The study found that Ukrainian legislation has established a multi-level mechanism for the protection of the state language in the media sphere, encompassing constitutional provisions (Article 10), provisions of the Law ‘On Media’ (Article 110), the Law ‘On Ensuring the Functioning of the State Language’ (Article 53) and the Law ‘On National Security’ (as amended in 2025), and the Resolution ‘On Strengthening the Role of the Ukrainian Language in the Consolidation of the Ukrainian State’, Reg. No. 4764-IX of 15 January 2026. The content of the bans on the dissemination of information that disparages the state language and of content that denies Ukrainian statehood—classified as anti- Ukrainian—has been analysed. A systemic gap has been identified: the absence of direct media sanctions for the dissemination of anti-Ukrainian content, which undermines the effectiveness of the regulator’s response. Particular attention is paid to the analysis of the Resolution of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of 15 January 2026 on strengthening the role of the Ukrainian language, which is viewed as a tool for transitioning to a comprehensive language policy, whilst also carrying risks of overregulation, formalisation and politicisation. Based on the research findings, practical recommendations have been formulated to improve media legislation, in particular regarding the introduction of direct sanctions, the development of criteria for classifying violations, and ensuring a balance between the protection of the state language and linguistic diversity.
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