Ukraine Parliament Votes in Favor of Restricting Russian Music, Books

Russian music is set to be banned from being broadcast in Ukrainian media and on public transport after the country’s Parliament voted Sunday in favor of a new bill aimed at reducing Russia’s influence.

Members of Ukraine’s Parliament, also known as the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, also voted on Sunday in favor of a bill that would place severe restrictions on Russian books.

Parliament confirmed the bills had been passed in a Twitter post on Sunday, with the constitutional majority of the Rada voting “for” with 306 votes.

Under the first bill, music by post-1991 Russian citizens will be banned from being played in media and on public transport. The quotas on Ukrainian-language speech and music content in TV and radio broadcasts will also be increased.

The second bill bans the printing of books by Russian citizens who held Russian citizenship after the 1991 collapse of Soviet rule. However, the ban will not apply if the individuals agree to renounce their Russian passport and take Ukrainian citizenship.

It will also ban the commercial import of books printed in Russia, Belarus, and occupied Ukrainian territory. Books in Russian imported from any other country will require special permission.