You're reading: Politico: A Ukrainian mongrel

The convenience store opposite my apartment in this city's historic center is run by people from western Ukraine who make no secret of their disdain for the Russian language. When I order my cigarettes or beer in Russian, they're churlish, and often claim not to have any change for my large bills. When I throw in a few words of Ukrainian, however, a smile lights up their faces, and they even offer to bag my purchases for me.

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