Thank you, Mr Chair. The Holodomor was one of the darkest
chapters in Ukrainian and European history. A terrible man-made
disaster that killed millions of innocent people.
On this 91st anniversary, the UK remembers those who lost their
lives. We pay tribute to our Ukrainian friends, who
continue to work to ensure that the truth of the Holodomor is
recognised, after decades of suppression by the Soviet Union. We
also commend the bravery of individuals and organisations who
have sought to expose these Soviet-era atrocities, particularly
in Russia. We condemn the persecution of them for trying to
expose the truth. The temporary closure last week of the
award-winning Gulag History Museum in Moscow is the latest
example of this campaign by the Russian state.
We must never stop learning from the horrors inflicted on the
Ukrainian people during the Holodomor, nor allow the millions who
perished to be forgotten.
In a historical echo, some of the world's most vulnerable people
are again suffering from Russia's weaponization of food.
Missile strikes on commercial ships and deliberate attacks on
Ukrainian export infrastructure have harmed global food security
and impacted shipments of humanitarian aid. And of course,
Ukraine is now suffering deliberate attacks on its energy
infrastructure in an attempt to maximise civilian suffering and
terrorise the population.
Mr Chair, we remember the horrors of the past to avoid their
repetition. It is our collective responsibility to humanity
to ensure that suffering such as that experienced during the
Holodomor is not repeated. Thank you.
