EU Statement in response to the Current Issue raised by Ukraine on the ninety-second anniversary of Holodomor

1. Chair, we commemorate the 92nd anniversary of the Holodomor, a brutal man-made famine inflicted by heinous Stalinist Soviet Union’s policies that claimed millions of lives. We honour the memory of the victims of the 1932 - 1933 famine, as well as the survivors, and their families. 

2. This man-made famine is one of the greatest crimes by the totalitarian regimes of the 20th century, a century marked by extraordinary cruelty and suffering. It is crucial that the memory of this atrocity endures as a solemn warning. 

3. Fighting hunger and malnutrition lies at the heart of EU work, and we will stand firm in our engagement. We strongly oppose Russia’s weaponisation of food, including through attacks against Ukrainian grain storage sites and ports. This undermines global food security, affecting vulnerable people and regions most in need. 

4. We reiterate our commitment to promoting awareness of the tragic events of our shared history. Accountability, strengthening the rule of law, and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms is essential to preventing future human tragedies. 

Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Republic of Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway and Ukraine align themselves with this statement.