Ukrainian Mykola Holubey, who lives in Germany, has found dozens of political maps in European stores that incorrectly depict Ukraine’s borders.
According to Mr. Holubey’s research, the incorrect images are printed on almost all maps – children’s entertainment maps, professional maps, decorative wall maps, and road guides.
In these maps, Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson Oblasts are depicted, in part or in full, as part of the Russian Federation or as “disputed territory.” All of these products contradict international law, the official portrayal of Ukraine in the UN and the European Union, and the official positions of European countries, the UK and the US, which support the territorial integrity of Ukraine.
“In March of this year, during the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs Congress, Putin said Russia has many friends in Western countries. He probably meant not only economic ties. “Ukrainian communities in Europe are witnessing the work of Russian agents in various spheres, including education, tourism, and more,” commented UWC Regional Vice President Pavlo Sadokha. “Thanks to concerned Ukrainians in the EU, we can increasingly identify textbooks, maps, and tourist brochures that, for example, refer to Crimea as Russian territory. Joint efforts by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ukrainian community organizations in the EU, including UWC members, are helping to correct such “mistakes” through official appeals to the relevant ministries or private institutions.”
According to Pavlo Sadokha, it is vital to encourage Ukrainians abroad to identify cases of Russian propaganda. The UWC is always ready to respond and thus reduce Russia’s influence on Western societies.
