We mark the solemn anniversary of the Holodomor as the brave people of Ukraine continue to defend their freedom and Ukraine’s sovereignty against Russia’s brutal war of aggression.  Ninety years ago, the inhumane polices of Joseph Stalin and the Soviet regime created the “death by hunger.”  Millions of Ukrainians—men, women, and children—suffered and starved to death between 1932-1933 because of a manmade famine.  Stalin and his regime systematically seized Ukraine’s grain and farms and transferred Ukrainian grain to other parts of the USSR as a tactic to repress Ukraine’s national identity. 

Today, Ukraine’s agricultural infrastructure is once more being deliberately targeted—this time by Vladimir Putin as part of his drive for conquest and power.  Russian forces seek to destroy Ukraine’s economy and independence, deliberately damaging fields and destroying Ukraine’s grain storage facilities and ports.  It is not just an attack on Ukraine’s economic security, it is a cynical assault on food security everywhere.  Putin is hurting the world’s most vulnerable communities, for Russia’s profit.

On this anniversary, we remember and honor all those, both past and present, who have endured such hardship and who continue still to fight against tyranny.  We also recommit ourselves to preventing suffering, protecting fundamental freedoms, and responding to human rights abuses whenever and wherever they occur.  We stand united with Ukraine.

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