Here's why:
* Shared Roots: Both Ukrainian and Russian belong to the East Slavic branch of the Indo-European language family. This means they share a common ancestor, Proto-Slavic, and thus have many similarities in vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation.
* Historical Connection: Ukrainian and Russian were historically intertwined, with significant cultural and linguistic exchanges.
* Mutual Intelligibility: While not perfectly mutually intelligible, speakers of Ukrainian and Russian can often understand each other to a significant degree, especially in written form.
However, it's important to note that:
* Divergence: Ukrainian and Russian have also diverged over time, developing their own unique features and vocabulary.
* Political Context: The current political situation has unfortunately led to a sense of linguistic separation, with some Ukrainians actively distancing themselves from Russian language and culture.
While Russian is the most similar, other Slavic languages like Belarusian, Polish, and Czech also share similarities with Ukrainian due to their common Indo-European heritage.