A hot button topic for some. We've chosen to agree with the locals. The correct name of the country is just "Ukraine." "The Ukraine" is how Russians referred to the territory of Ukraine during the Soviet era and earlier. When it comes to the capital city, "Kiev" is the Russian transliteration of the city's name, whereas "Kyiv" is the transliteration from Ukrainian. Since the Euromaidan Revolution, the Ukrainian language has taken on a greater significance, although most Ukrainians also speak Russian.