24 November 2018 - 15:04

Ukraine, its people are grateful to the representatives of the countries that are present at the events dedicated to the commemoration of the victims of the Holodomor of 1932-1933, President Petro Poroshenko emphasizes.

"Dear friends, who came together today to mark the 85th anniversary of the terrible tragedy, I am sincerely grateful for your participation in the commemorative events on the occasion of the tragedy that took place eighty-five years ago. Imagine, representatives from more than 50 countries are today with us. I am deeply touched by such a manifestation of solidarity with Ukraine," the Head of State said, addressing the participants of the International Forum "Ukraine Remembers - the World Recognizes!" dedicated to the 85th anniversary of the Holodomor.

"This is an evidence of how deeply you share our pain and how sincerely you care for our fate. In this historical period - it has a special significance for us and incites the warmest feelings in the hearts of all Ukrainians," Petro Poroshenko added.

He noted that today we bow our heads in the memory of the innocent souls who have found their premature rest due to one of the most terrible crimes against humanity.

"In those dark 32nd and 33rd years, the Moscow totalitarian regime with a devilish enthusiasm started to break the freedom-loving Ukrainian soul, having organized genocide against the whole nation. There were no natural disasters. There were no tragic circumstances. It was only a plan meticulously made in the Kremlin's offices that brought an unprecedented human tragedy to the fertile Ukrainian lands," the President stressed, noting that the regime of Stalin saw the only opportunity to consolidate its positions in Ukraine at the cost of millions of lives.

In support of this, the Head of State cited a quotation from the secret report on the artificial famine in Ukraine at that time reflecting the tragedy. Eyewitnesses wrote: "About the political situation, it needs to be said that real famine reigns in Ukraine, entire villages and counties die. Dreadful mortality among children should be emphasized separately. This is a policy aimed at finally breaking the Ukrainian nation as the only national force capable of serious resistance. Some will die, others will dissipate all over the endless spaces of Russia".

"This is a real assessment of the Kremlin's Holodomor crime. The assessment is not given by us and not today, the assessment is given by its witnesses. And such evidence is enough to silence even the most fierce apologists of the Holodomor denial," Petro Poroshenko emphasized.

The President stressed that the number of states that recognize the Holodomor as a genocide of the Ukrainian people is expanding every year. "Already about three dozen states at one level or another have provided an appropriate assessment of this human tragedy. Important decisions by the US Senate and the Assembly of Portugal have been made recently. We have due respect for the memory of the victims of the Holodomor at the level of international organizations - such as the United Nations, the European Parliament, UNESCO, the OSCE, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe," he remarked.

Petro Poroshenko noted that Ukraine is grateful to foreign partners who have joined the restoration of historical truth. However, he noted that today we are still halfway: "Therefore, we count on the wide international support for the draft UN declaration made by Ukraine to the 85th anniversary of the Holodomor".

"I urge our partners to support and join the co-authors of the declaration," the Head of State said.