Ukraine Plans Return of Ukrainian Names for Foreign Cities

Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, led by Andrii Sybiha, is advancing an initiative to standardize and promote the use of Ukrainian-origin names for foreign toponyms within Ukraine, such as Berestia instead of Brest and Bilhorod instead of Belgorod. This effort follows ongoing successful campaigns to ensure the correct Ukrainian transliteration of Ukrainian cities like Kyiv, Odesa, and Lviv are used internationally, emphasizing the importance of respecting Ukrainian self-identification and sovereignty. Sybiha highlighted an incident where a diplomatic note using the outdated spelling "Kiev" was rejected, underscoring the Ministry's commitment to enforcing proper usage. The initiative involves public debates and interagency coordination to systematize these naming conventions domestically, aligning with Ukrainian legislation that prioritizes Ukrainian language use. The campaign is framed as a matter of national respect and identity, with the Ministry clarifying that this effort concerns usage within Ukraine and not imposing changes on other countries. This linguistic policy reflects Ukraine's broader cultural autonomy and resistance to historical Russian linguistic influence.