Forty-three countries approve Joint Statement on the 90th Anniversary of the Holodomor

This is reported by an Ukrinform correspondent.

The Joint Statement was delivered by United States Ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Michael R. Carpenter.

The signatory states mentioned that, during the Holodomor, the cruel actions and policies of the Stalinist regime caused brutal and prolonged mass starvation, killing millions of innocent people in Ukraine.

The document acknowledges the efforts undertaken in recent years to educate the public about the Holodomor in the OSCE participating States as well as in the United Nations and its specialized agencies.

The statement urges participating States to promote the dissemination of information, “to educate on the Holodomor in Ukraine and to memorialize it as a dark chapter in world history.” 

Some participating States have recognized the 1932-1933 Holodomor in Ukraine as a state-induced campaign of starvation, while a number of participating States or their legislative branches of government, have recognized the Holodomor as a genocide.

“For decades the Holodomor – an appalling act of inhumanity – was suppressed and denied by the Soviet Union. Today, there are ongoing attempts by the Russian Federation to glorify Stalinism and deny the Holodomor and other atrocities committed by the communist regime, including through the persecution of all those individuals and organizations who have sought to expose such Soviet era atrocities,” the document reads.

The signatory stated expressed their grave concern about the repetition of the unconscionable actions of the past.

“Today, the Kremlin is again attempting to subjugate the people of Ukraine by force. It is once again using food as a weapon, not just against Ukraine, but also against many countries over the world, by restricting Ukraine’s food exports which are crucial for global food security. Today, Russia’s aggression is accompanied by Stalinist methods of dehumanization campaigns, mass atrocities, cruel filtration procedures, forcible transfers and deportations, including of children, and practices to deny, suppress and punish expressions of Ukrainian identity,” the participants emphasized.

According to the document, all the above is aimed at breaking the will of the Ukrainian people and subjugating the sovereign state of Ukraine.  The signatory states reiterated their commitment to bring all those responsible to account for the sake of justice and peace, as well as for the prevention of such atrocities and abuses.

“We commend Ukraine’s initiatives to ensure global food supplies despite the Russian Federation’s attempts to weaponize food by restricting Ukraine’s food exports, thus undermining global food security, and threatening the supplies people worldwide depend on. We strongly deplore the Russian Federation’s theft and destruction of Ukrainian agricultural products, equipment, and infrastructure as well as the Russian Federation’s efforts to prevent Ukrainian food from reaching the most vulnerable populations around the world,” the participants stressed.

The signatory states mentioned that the 90th anniversary of the 1932-1933 Holodomor in Ukraine serves as a powerful reminder about the dangers of autocratic regimes. 

“The history of the Holodomor also reminds us of our common responsibility to defend the cause of humanity and our shared respect for human life,” the participants concluded.

The Joint Statement was signed by the following participants: Albania, Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and the EU Delegation.

Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Minister Dmytro Kuleba thanked each state that joined the Ukraine-initiated Joint Statement on the 90th anniversary of the Holodomor, demanding “justice for Moscow’s past and present crimes.”