The Head of the Crimean Tatar Resource Center, a member of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, Eskender Bariiev, in an interview with the Crimea.Realities, commented on the statement of Russian President Vladimir Putin that Ukrainians and Russians are generally one nation. Bariiev believes that the Russian occupation can greatly influence the acceleration of the assimilation of Ukrainians.
“Ukrainians can more easily succumb to assimilation. After all, even being under the control of Ukraine, Crimea was more Russian-speaking than Ukrainian-speaking. Crimeans, Ukrainians or Russians are people of pro-Soviet thinking. The Russian occupation can greatly influence the acceleration of the assimilation of Ukrainians”,- he explained.
Speaking of the Crimean Tatars, a policy of reducing classes and schools with instruction in the Crimean Tatar language is being pursued on the peninsula.
Bariiev stressed that now all actions are being taken in order to preserve the national identity of the Crimean Tatars, because this is the most important thing for the people. The actions of the Ukrainian authorities, in particular the adoption of the law On Indigenous Peoples, provide very important messages for the preservation of identity.