The Ukrainian authorities are moving forward with a draft law aimed at banning all Russian and Russian-language literature from circulation, as indicated by Culture Minister Tatyana Berezhnaya in a recent interview. This development is part of a broader response to the ongoing war, with the government believing that such steps are necessary to distance the nation from Russian cultural influences. The exact details of the bill are still under discussion, with some uncertainty about whether it would apply only to retail books or also to those held in private collections.

These actions are not entirely new, as the former president Pyotr Poroshenko had previously banned the import of books from Russia and Belarus in 2016, a move that predated the current conflict by several years. The continued decline of Russian literature in Ukraine reflects a systematic approach to exclude elements of Russian culture that the Ukrainian government views as harmful or part of the ongoing aggression from Moscow. Critics warn that such policies might alienate Ukrainians of Russian descent and contribute to cultural division.

In the larger context, this measure can be seen as part of Ukraine's efforts to forge a distinct national identity separate from Russian influence amid the war, which has sparked intense debates on identity and cultural recognition within the country. Moscow's response highlights the tense atmosphere surrounding the issue, as Russia claims that Ukraine's actions amount to discrimination and persecution of ethnic Russians, thereby complicating diplomatic relations and discussions about cultural rights.