<aside> 💡 Language creates a mental map in our mind which we use to navigate what's happening in the world. In russia’s hybrid war against Ukraine, words matter.
**One of the best ways to support Ukraine is using Ukraine-centric terminology.
Make sure your Ukraine coverage is Ukraine-centered.**
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<aside> 1️⃣ How to call the russo-Ukrainian war:
✅ russia’s war on Ukraine
✅ unprovoked/genocidal russian invasion of Ukraine
✅ russo-Ukrainian war
❌ civil war ❌ Ukraine conflict / Ukraine war ❌ proxy war ❌ Ukraine crisis ❌ Putin’s war
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<aside> 2️⃣ **Spelling of Ukrainian cities:
❗Kyiv**, not Kiev ❗Donbas, not Donbass ❗Odesa, not Odessa
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<aside> 3️⃣ How to call and describe Ukraine:
✅ Ukraine, a sovereign state
❌ ”The Ukraine”, “former Soviet republic”, “post-Soviet state”
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<aside> 4️⃣ How to describe russia-occupied territories:
✅ temporarily russia-occupied areas of Donbas
❌ rebel-held/separatist-held territories of Donbas
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<aside> 5️⃣ How to call russian occupants:
✅ russian forces ✅ russian occupation forces
✅ russian occupants
❌ pro-russian separatists ❌ russia-backed rebels
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<aside> 6️⃣ When did the russo-Ukrainian war start?
✅ The war started on 20 February 2014.
❌ The war did NOT start on 24 February 2022
What started on 24 February 2022 is the full-scale russian invasion of Ukraine.
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