Russia Concerned About 38% Of Ukrainians Who Consider Themselves Russian-Speaking - Putin

PARIS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 10th December, 2019) At least 38 percent of Ukrainian citizens consider themselves Russian-speaking, but Ukraine is having all its Russian schools switch to Ukrainian starting from next year, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

"Naturally, we want the Russian-speaking population, not only in Donbas [Ukraine's southeast] but throughout Ukraine to enjoy equal democratic rights. I want to draw your attention to the fact that 38 percent of the country's citizens consider themselves Russian-speaking in Ukraine.

And starting from next year, as you know, all Russian schools are being switched to Ukrainian," Putin said after the Monday Normandy format talks in Paris.

The Russian leader pointed out that Polish, Hungarian and Romanian schools in Ukraine are going to switch to classes in Ukrainian only starting from 2023.

"You will agree that this raises questions that we don't have answers to," Putin told journalists, expressing hope that the issue will receive Kiev's attention.