Support Holodomor Resolution S.Res. 435

Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Dick Durbin (D-IL), co-chairs of the Senate Ukraine Caucus, known for their staunch support for Ukraine, introduced on March 14 a resolution on marking the 85th anniversary of the Russian mass murder by famine of 7-10 million Ukrainians.

When adopted, the resolution would commemorate the anniversary of the Holodomor and recognize the Moscow’s role in perpetrating this genocide.

According to the Ukrainian National Information Service in Washington, DC, the resolution builds on a number of congressional actions to condemn the Holodomor and honor its victims, including the 2015 dedication of the Holodomor Memorial in Washington, D.C. Portman and Durbin were joined in introducing this resolution by a bipartisan group of Senators including Senators Inhofe (R-OK), Casey (D-PA), Rubio (R-FL), Gardner (R-CO), Blumenthal (D-CT), Wicker (R-MS), Brown (D-OH), Johnson (R-WI), Murphy (D-CT), Klobuchar (D-MN), and Shaheen (D-NH).  

“This important resolution honors the memory of the millions of Ukrainians who suffered under the Soviets’ policy of using starvation as a weapon to try to break the independence and identity of the Ukrainian nation,” Portman said. “As Ukraine continues to fight today to defend its independence and sovereignty in the face of Russia aggression, this resolution serves as an even more important reminder of the horrible atrocities inflicted upon Ukraine and the perseverance of a people whose spirit cannot be broken.”

“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 to introduce this resolution 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.”

Senator Bob Menendez (R-NJ), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, added this observation about the Holodomor commemoration:

 “I am proud to be a cosponsor of the Holodomor resolution, which reminds the world of the famine experienced by the Ukrainian people at the hand of repressive Soviet policies. I will continue to stand with the Ukrainian community, including the large and thriving diaspora in New Jersey, in ensuring we never forget this senseless tragedy that took the lives of millions.  As we look back, we must also focus on the present day tragedy unfolding in Donbas and the illegal Russian occupation of Crimea. The international community must redouble its efforts to support the people of Ukraine today in the face of ongoing military aggression from Moscow.” 

History has recorded numerous Russian crimes against the Ukrainian nation as well as other freedom-loving peoples around the world. However, the 1932-33 Russian murder by starvation of millions of Ukrainian men, women and children was a key element of the Moscow’s age-old bloody strategy to break Ukraine as a nation, defeat its push for independence, and fully subordinate it to Moscow’s rule or simply wipe it off the face of the earth.

The resolution would commemorate the anniversary of the Holodomor and recognize the Kremlin’s premeditated role in perpetrating it, building off of the recent dedication of the Holodomor monument in Washington, DC.

The Ukrainian National Information Service urges the Ukrainian American community to contact your senators and urge them to co-sponsor S.Res. 435.