Kyiv - Ukraine's war against Russia is not only being waged on the frontline but also in terms of strengthening Ukrainian national identity and reducing the influence of Russian language and culture in society.
Our investigation shows how, in this context, Romanian and Hungarian minorities tend to become collateral victims, as their rights to education in their mother tongue and to preserve their ethnic identity have been continuously restricted in recent years.
We have also investigated the kin-states policies in this regard revealing that the government in Bucharest, while critical of Kiev's minority policies, has failed so far in supporting Romanian communities abroad.
Surprisingly enough, however, the war in Ukraine also creates a number of opportunities that could change the status of ethnic minorities in Ukraine for the better. However, it remains to be seen whether the states involved will be able to work together on this issue.