How do you differentiate a Ukranian from a Russian from speech, writing, or culture?

How do you differentiate a Ukranian from a Russian from speech, writing, or culture?

It’s very difficult.

Speech.

There is a joke:
-Who can differentiate a Ukrainian from a Russian in a crowd?

-Only a Moscow railway station policeman.

When I moved to Russia, locals could guess that I was from Ukraine only when I started to speak. Ukrainians have a different accent. But if a Ukrainian goes to the southern regions of Russia, that difference in accents is almost invisible.

In time my Ukrainian accent disappeared, so nobody can guess that I’m from Ukraine unless I tell them.

There are a lot of people in Russia with Ukrainian surnames who say they are Russians.

And there are a lot of people in Ukraine with Russian surnames who say they are Ukrainians.

Culture.

I would say the difference between Western and Eastern Ukrainians is bigger than the difference between Eastern Ukrainians and Russians (Russian ethnicity). Historically, these modern parts of Ukraine were divided and evolved in different ways. That reflects the diversity between the West and East of Ukraine.

Below is the picture of a Western lady:

And the picture of an Eastern and central lady:

Writing.

There are only two ways to differenciate:

A person writes in Ukrainian.
A person writes in Russian.

Note: Dear Quorans, please, no politics.

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Picture Source Wikipedia