Petition to ban printing and sale of Russian-language books has gathered the required number of signatures

A petition to ban the printing and distribution of Russian-language books at the legal level has been signed by 25 000 Ukrainians. Thatʼs how many people are needed for it to be considered by the government.

This became known on the website of the Cabinet of Ministers.

"The petition is a call for the spread of the national idea and protection from cultural expansion by the Russian Federation," noted the petitionʼs initiator, writer and military man Ihor Sniatynchuk.

The author called on the Cabinet of Ministers to make the following changes to the legislation:

• limit printed and electronic publications in Russian to no more than 0.01% of the total circulation;
• to prohibit the distribution of Russian-language publications on the territory of Ukraine, as well as participation in the promotion of such products created by Ukrainians at international book fairs on behalf of Ukraine;
• to prohibit the publication and republishing of works by Russian authors, as well as countries allied with the aggressor state;
• introduce administrative liability in the form of fines and strengthen control over the activities of publishing houses and printing houses;
• introduce expert verification of book products for the presence of propaganda and pro-Russian views of the author.

"We must firmly and resolutely defend our information and cultural space. Restricting Russian-language printed matter in Ukraine is a necessary step to victory in the hybrid war and a way to ensure that the current situation does not repeat itself in the future. We will not allow the invasion to repeat itself. Letʼs eliminate the prerequisites for this now!" Sniatynchuk urges.

The petition was submitted on May 28. It took three months to collect the required number of signatures. Interestingly, the Ukrainians managed to collect the required 25 000 votes on the last day.

The government will now consider the proposal.

For more news and in-depth stories from Ukraine, please follow us on X.