I installed Multi Keyboard Layouts | OpenRepos.net — Community Repository System and seems like maybe I won’t have to switch to Android. Thanks for the tip!
I marked your reply as Solution.
Jolla should still take note, though. This UX is pretty ridiculous. My Sailfish colleague (I gifted him Xperia X) just confirmed his same experience today, when I remembered to ask.
Feels a bit like designer X is fixated on some geometry thing about VK layout instead of actual usability of the thing, while simultaneously also not being able to combine the 2 vectors. Have seen it only too many times in my own product team.