Ukrainian President calls on Russia to ‘repent’ for the Holodomor
President Petro Poroshenko called on Russia to repent for the Holodomor, a man-made famine in Ukraine that took place from 1932-1933, during which at least 4 million Ukrainians were killed.
“I wish that at least our children (though better if it were we) witness the incredible. I wish there would be such changes in Russia that its new elite will also recognize the Holodomor as a genocide. Or at least repent for it," said Poroshenko at a commemorative event at the Kyiv National Museum "Holodomor Victims Memorial."
The President reminded Russia that the country considers itself to be the successor of the Soviet Union, and therefore should take responsibility for the crimes of that state.
"[Russia] took over not only the assets of the former USSR, but also responsibility for the crimes of the Soviet regime. Unfortunately, these crimes are justified so far with the assumption that the confiscation of grain in Ukrainian villages provided means for industrialization. It turns out that the peasants of Ukraine were deprived of lives to secure the great power of Russia. Actually, that’s what it was. And nowadays in Russia, there is a restoration of the cult of Stalin," Poroshenko said.
Poroshenko also said that Ukraine needs to impose liability for the non-recognition of the Holodomor. "Not recognizing the Holodomor is as immoral as denying the Holocaust. I think it’s time for us to adopt a law on accountability for the non-recognition of these two unprecedentedly horrible tragedies [the Holodomor and the Holocaust]," he said.
In 2010, the Ukrainian court considered the criminal case of the Holodomor of 1932-1933, and found the then-leadership of the USSR and the Ukrainian SSR guilty of committing genocide against the Ukrainian people (part 1 of Article 442 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). The Court acknowledged that the famine was organized by Joseph Stalin (Dzhugashvili), Vyacheslav Molotov (Skryabin), Lazar Kaganovich, Pavel Postyshev, Stanislav Kosior, Vlas Chubar and Mendel Khatayevich.