What Americans get wrong about Ukraine: Myths vs reality
10 myths about Ukraine that Americans still believe (photo: Getty Images)
Despite the war, TikTok, and dozens of articles in The New York Times, there are still plenty of myths about Ukraine floating around in America. "Are there still tanks in the streets in Kyiv?" they ask Ukrainians—and it's the kind of question that makes you want to laugh and cry at the same time. Some of these myths are ridiculous, offensive, and just plain funny. Here are the 10 most common myths about Ukraine that Americans still believe.
Ukraine is cold 365 days a year
Someone might be confusing us with Siberia. But yes—we have summer. A real one. With heat, watermelons, and the sea. In Kyiv, 35°C (95°F) in July is perfectly normal—not some "freak heatwave."
We all speak Russian
This is a favorite claim by "experts" who saw Ukraine in the "Chernobyl" TV series. No, most Ukrainians speak Ukrainian. And the longer the war goes on, the less Russian you hear in public spaces. It's not about politics—it's about dignity.
We still don't have civilization
"Do you even have a Starbucks?" someone who's never seen a Kyiv coffee shop might ask. Spoiler: our baristas can outdo any American latte. We had PayPass working when some US states were still handwriting checks.
We don't walk between concrete boxes from The Americans, where everything looks gray and depressing. Look at Lviv, Kharkiv, or Odesa—it's not post-Soviet, it's Europe, with balconies, terraces, festivals, and IT specialists.
All Ukrainians are farmers
"Your country is mostly agricultural, right?" That's like saying all Americans are cowboys. Sure, we have a strong agriculture sector. But we're also an IT nation. We've got startups, better banking than in the US, and a youth that doesn't just dig and plant potatoes—they build drones.
Ukrainians and Russians are "brotherly peoples," just a little different
This one hurts the most. We are not "almost Russians." We have a different language, history, culture, mentality, heroes, pain, jokes, and traditions. We are Ukrainians. And we're not Russia 2.0—we are a separate and dignified story.
Our army is "poor guys with machine guns"
Wrong. Our army has serious people with drones, AI, and hacking skills. The Ukrainian army isn't made up of guys in worn boots—it's motivated fighters with elite training. It includes cyberwarfare operations, satellite data analysis, and technologies the Pentagon still dreams about.
We have the best banking systems in smartphones
While some US states still use checks, Ukrainian grandmas at farmers' markets accept Apple Pay. The Diia app isn't sci-fi—it's our everyday tool.
Ukrainian has more words than English
We can say "sad, upset, gloomy, melancholy, joyless, bored, in grief, in sorrow"—and that's not even close to the complete list. We also have a word for "coexistence" that applies to everything except Russia.
Ukrainian cuisine is more than just borshch
Yes, borshch is top-tier. But try banosh, forshmak, yushka, varenyky, kholodets (carefully!), and deruny with pork cracklings. Then ask yourself: Do you really need another cheeseburger?
Ukrainian women are not "mail order brides"
That 1990s stereotype needs to die already. Ukrainian women are entrepreneurs, scientists, soldiers, and volunteers. They're not looking for a husband from Texas but for decency and respect, wherever you live.
Earlier, we named 15 Ukrainian words that an American will never be able to pronounce.
