The city is known as Київ in Ukrainian and Киев in Russian. The transliteration

The city is known as Київ in Ukrainian and Киев in Russian. The transliteration to Latin alphabet results in different spellings because of differences in pronunciation and spelling conventions between the two languages. “Kiev” is a transliteration from the Russian pronunciation, while “Kyiv” reflects the Ukrainian pronunciation.

The campaign for using “Kyiv” has gained traction internationally, especially after the 2014 Maidan uprising which sparked a shift towards more pro-Western policies.

I’ve lived in Moscow (Moskva), Kyiv(Kiev), and L’viv (Lvov), and my experience is that the pronunciation is closest to “Keeve”.

Reply addressees: @MyGardenLady