Categories: Agenda

Ukraine not ‘the Ukraine’, Kyiv not Kiev – why these letters are so important

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by Leonie Corcoran
06th Mar 2022

To some it might seem like politically correct oversensitivity but adding ‘the’ sends an important message, as does spelling Ukraine’s capital city as Kiev, rather than Kyiv

After Taoiseach Micheál Martin’s appearance on The Late Late Show on Friday night, some watchers commented on Twitter that the Taoiseach needs to learn why using the term “the Ukraine”, as opposed to ‘Ukraine’, is incorrect. Our Taoiseach has company in his blunder, with former US president Barack Obama being called out for the same thing this week. Across global news broadcasts and in media coverage, both ways to describe the country are frequently used....

Ukraine not ‘the Ukraine’, Kyiv not Kiev – why these letters are so important

To some it might seem like politically correct oversensitivity but adding ‘the’ sends an important message, as does spelling Ukraine’s capital city as Kiev, rather than Kyiv

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Ukraine not ‘the Ukraine’, Kyiv not Kiev – why these letters are so important

To some it might seem like politically correct oversensitivity but adding ‘the’ sends an important message, as does spelling Ukraine’s capital city as Kiev, rather than Kyiv

You have reached a premium article.

For unlimited digital access to the stories worth paying for, subscribe now to IMAGE from just €4.99 a month

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