10.04.18

Senate Passes Durbin, Portman Resolution Commemorating 85th Anniversary Of The Holodomor

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Rob Portman (R-OH)—who co-chair the Senate Ukraine Caucus—announced that their resolution to commemorate the anniversary of the Holodomor and recognize the Soviet Union’s role in perpetrating this genocide has passed the Senate.

“Ukraine’s famine is an ugly chapter in world history, in which millions of civilians died at the hands of the Soviet Union’s cruel policies,” Durbin said. “As a co-chair of the Senate’s Ukraine Caucus, I am proud the Senate passed the resolution I introduced to raise awareness in our country of this mass tragedy. We remember the victims of the famine who were killed and support the efforts of the Ukrainian people to bring global awareness to it, particularly as the world confronts Russian aggression today. We extend our deepest sympathies to the victims, survivors, and families of this tragedy.”

The resolution marks the 85th anniversary of the Holodomor, Stalin’s intentional starvation of large segments of Ukrainian society from 1932-1933.  A copy of the resolution is here. The Senate’s resolution:

  • Solemnly remembers the 85th anniversary of the Holodomor of 1932–1933 and extends its deepest sympathies to the victims, survivors, and families of this tragedy;
  • Condemns the systematic violations of human rights, including the freedom of self-determination and freedom of speech, of the Ukrainian  people by the Soviet government;
  • Recognizes the findings of the Commission on the Ukraine Famine as submitted to Congress on April 22, 1988, including that ‘‘Joseph Stalin and those around him committed genocide against the Ukrainians in 1932–1933’’;
  • Encourages dissemination of information regarding the Holodomor of 1932–1933 in order to expand the world’s knowledge of this manmade tragedy; and
  • Supports the continuing efforts of the people of Ukraine to work toward ensuring democratic principles, a free-market economy, and full respect for human rights, in order to enable Ukraine to achieve its potential as an important strategic partner of the United States in that region of the world, and to reflect the will of its people.

Most international experts agree that the Holodomor caused at least several million deaths but remains unacknowledged by Russia. The Holodomor was a key element of the Soviets’ brutal strategy to break Ukraine as a nation, defeat its push for greater self-rule or outright independence, and fully subordinate it to Moscow’s rule.

The resolution commemorates the anniversary of the Holodomor and recognizes the Soviet Union’s role in perpetrating it, building on a number of congressional actions to condemn the Holodomor and honor its victims, including the recent dedication of the Holodomor monument in Washington, D.C.

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