It’s Ukraine, not ‘the’ Ukraine

If you’ve been following recent international news and having conversations about this topic, please do not refer to Ukraine as “the Ukraine”. Prefacing Ukraine with “the” is seen as derogatory because it refers to Ukraine as a region of Russia (or the former Soviet Union). You never know who you might be talking to who may be of Ukrainian descent. This morning, I was listening to a BBC podcast, and the host accidentally referred to Ukraine as “the Ukraine”.

It’s Ukraine, not ‘the’ Ukraine. And Ukrainians want you to get it right.

Why saying it right matters so much to the country.

Originally published at https://michaelbakshi.com on January 25, 2022.