.
'in or on'
It's about Ukraine. In Russian language exists a traditional usage of a preposition "on" to Ukraine, while the preposition "in" should be used when we speak about the country.
The thing is: since the times when that word (Ukraine) started to be used it meant the territory, not a country (literally it means "borderland"). And we can't say "in territory" but "on territory". Only after the February Revolution of 1917 the loosely assembled Rada in Kiev proclaimed the Ukrainian People's Republic. Very soon after the October Revolution of 1917 (the Bolshevist one) that attempt failed. Then Ukraine became a Soviet Republic, which status didn't suppose the political independece. So it was still okay to say "on Ukraine".
In 1991 USSR was dismissed and Ukraine became an independent state but since then i haven't heard it was a problem if someone was still saying "on". Only after the so called "Euro-maidan revolution" of 2013 and everything what followed it that tiny linguistical nuance got a strong political meaning: if you say "on Ukraine" - you're against ukrainian independence etc.
p.s. In Poland as well: "w Ukrainie czy na Ukrainie? "
.
'in or on'
It's about Ukraine. In Russian language exists a traditional usage of a preposition "on" to Ukraine, while the preposition "in" should be used when we speak about the country.
The thing is: since the times when that word (Ukraine) started to be used it meant the territory, not a country (literally it means "borderland"). And we can't say "in territory" but "on territory". Only after the February Revolution of 1917 the loosely assembled Rada in Kiev proclaimed the Ukrainian People's Republic. Very soon after the October Revolution of 1917 (the Bolshevist one) that attempt failed. Then Ukraine became a Soviet Republic, which status didn't suppose the political independece. So it was still okay to say "on Ukraine".
In 1991 USSR was dismissed and Ukraine became an independent state but since then i haven't heard it was a problem if someone was still saying "on". Only after the so called "Euro-maidan revolution" of 2013 and everything what followed it that tiny linguistical nuance got a strong political meaning: if you say "on Ukraine" - you're against ukrainian independence etc.
p.s. In Poland as well: "w Ukrainie czy na Ukrainie? "