2 state languages for Ukraine is OK; second must be English

today I've had an interesting case on Facebook while communicating with a girl from Ukraine who studies somewhere in Europe via all that EYP-programmes etc. she said I had strong English skills which unusual "for Ukrainian (especially for a boy))". and this situation made me not only smile, but also gave me a reason for thinking over the so-called language-barrier between Ukraine and rest of the world.

soon we'll have elections to the Verkhovna Rada and President's elections as well. and one of the main Qs for the elections will be the "language problem' raised by post-communist and Russia-supported politicians who want to reach the top of political and social popularity with the help of poor-looking stupid manipulations with those who want to have Russian as a second language as a state one. and all this stuff will raise up again.

I have no objections as for 2 state languages in Ukraine. but not Russian must be our second state language. we've got Ukrainian as a state language #1 and whether you like it or not this must be so. and if we don't want to stay over the edge of the world and be "Aziopa-like" nation, we should make a choice for the second state language. there are 5 main reasons why this second state language for UA must be English, but never Russian (this is my own opinion, you can like it or blame it - I don't care for this really, just think over this 5 reasons and you'll see I'm right):

1) English is the main or the second state language for more than 80% of the world. do you think we have a future following the state language that is widely spread only among 15 ex-USSR republics and in Israel? well, I don't think so.

2) English is a language of education for 90% of universities and colleges worldwide. this is a language for getting education, Bachelor's, MD and PhD degrees in the most known centres of education on all the continents. don't you think it's silly and ridiculous to close up the perspective for our specialists, students and tutors by making them support an idea of local language of the foreign country basing upon the fake idea of "semicultural" abilities and that "we have much in common" with Russians? if you want to know, we have nothing in common except constant tries of Russian Empire to possess Ukrainian territory since kings and up to nowadays.

3) English is a language of international documentation and agreements of all possible state, financial and political levels. have you ever seen an international agreement, invoice, press-release or official letter written in Russian somewhere except 5 or 10 states of the CIS-region? I don't think so.

4) English is the main (and very often - the only one familiar to us, as in the case of Twitter) language for enormous variety of services, web 2.0 tools, sites, blogs, programmes all over the world. and very often there is no even Ukrainian in these web 2.0 locations nor any other language familiar to us.

5) English is the only way to make ex-communist politicians and state-clerks leave their places in all the spheres of political, state and civil activities and go away, making the way free for innovations and the new future of this country. and this maybe the key reason why our politics and our governing parties are afraid of such an idea. they need Russian not to protect some "interests", but for non-studying Ukrainian which they are obligated to do being a part of this state. and if you make them study English... and this may be the most effective way to throw them out of the political activities to form the new generation of those who can govern this country in a new, European way.

but it's rather sad, that this is only my private point of view...