East and West together? Why is it premature to talk about the end of regional differences?

Since 2022, the public discourse has been dominated by the thesis that the full-scale war erased the traditional differences between eastern and western Ukraine, giving rise to an unprecedented national consolidation. This analysis challenges that thesis, drawing on representative survey data from 2022–2025. The results reveal a dual picture. On one hand, support for the Euro-Atlantic course and the refusal to make territorial concessions to Russia has indeed risen to record levels across the country. On the other hand, regional differences have not disappeared but transformed: they remain persistent in domains tied to cultural identity. The deepest gaps still run along the lines of language practices and interpretations of Soviet and recent history. Differences in the religious sphere and in attitudes toward language and cultural policy also remain profound. The author argues that the regional divide has not disappeared but splintered: linguistic, religious, and value-based positions no longer overlap. Accounting for this complexity is a necessary condition for the formation of an effective state policy aimed at strengthening national unity.