Hope for the Ukrainian Language

A Russian university colleague told me that ultimately the transition to Ukrainian should be successful, even here in East Ukraine, if the young people here keep learning and speaking the language, but at the present time it is a rather painful and politically divisive issue at certain levels.  She has said that at the community level there is not as much discord as within the political arena.  Russian speakers in the east and Ukrainian speakers in the west are not necessarily at odds with each other and get along just fine.  The obstacle is the fighting and conflict among politicians who can ultimately cause problems for the average Russian and Ukrainian through the laws and orders (rules) that they institute.  Politically it’s a mess, really, but socially it is not.  She has hope, though, that in the future Ukrainian will be spoken throughout the country.