Ukraine’s parliament on Sunday passed a controversial law banning music and books from Russia. The measure also applies to all printed materials from Belarus and Moscow-occupied territories.
The measure was announced by the Ukrainian deputy Pavel Frolov on his Telegram account. According to him, the adopted law prohibits the transmission of Russian music production in the country’s media, in addition to the performance of Russian artists in public spaces of Ukraine.
The same applies to the import and distribution of Russian-language books from the “occupying country”, Belarus, one of Moscow’s main allies, and from the occupied Ukrainian territory, for which a special license would be required.
According to Ukrainian media reports, the text provides for the release of Russian artists who publicly condemned the war as restrictions. The country’s National Security and Defense Council also plans to create a list of Russian cultural personalities who have moved away from the Kremlin and may continue to be broadcast in Ukraine.
The bill was passed by two-thirds of Ukrainian lawmakers. The text stipulates that “the cultural production of the aggressor can influence the behavior of the population.” According to the parliament, the restriction could be lifted once the war ends and the Russian-occupied territories return to Ukraine’s control.
The law also provides minimum quotas for Ukrainian-language songs, which must represent at least 40% of the music production broadcast in the country’s media. In addition, at least 75% of the information and entertainment content on radio and television must use the official language of the country.
Almost four months of war
The war in Ukraine entered its 117th day on Monday (20). The Donbass region in the east is currently the target of intense attacks by Russian troops. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledges “significant losses” and foresees difficult times for his army.
Kyiv claims to have seen an increase in bombings in the Kharkiv (northeast) and Donetsk (east) regions. According to Zelensky, Russia is also concentrating its troops in the Zaporizhia region (south).
Among the priorities of the Russians is the city of Severodonetsk, which since 2014 has been partially controlled by pro-Russian separatists. The town has been the target of extreme violence for several weeks. According to local officials, Moscow troops control most of the enclaves, but more than a third of the city is under Ukrainian control.
So far, an overall assessment of the civilian casualties of the conflict has not been made. On the military front, Western security sources point to as many as 20,000 dead Russian soldiers. Ukrainian forces are losing 100 to 300 fighters every day.
More than seven million Ukrainians were forced to leave their homes and seek refuge elsewhere in the country. About 7.7 million have left Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion on February 24.
source: Noticias
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