Schumer at Holodomor Observance: Never Abandon Ukraine!

 

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY), one of the staunchest supporters of Ukraine now as well as in the days of its subjugation, assured Ukrainian Americans gathered yesterday for the 90th Holodomor remembrance in New York City that he will never allow Ukraine to be abandoned by the United States.

“I pledge that as long as I am the majority leader in the US Senate, I will never allow America to abandon Ukraine,” promised Schumer, an annual speaker at these commemorative events.

The yearly remembrance of the murder by starvation of 7-10 million Ukrainian men, women, and children at the hands of russia is regularly organized by the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America at the historic St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

Echoing the motto “Holodomor then; Genocide now; Justice when,” Schumer stated that nine decades ago Stalin failed in his twisted desire to annihilate Ukrainians by starving them to death while 90 years later russia invaded Ukraine to continue its diabolical plan to destroy the people and country.

“But just like stalin failed so too will putin fail,” Schumer said loudly to the crowd that filled the cathedral.

Schumer like other speakers at the observance equated crimes by Stalin and soviet russia with putin and contemporary russia. The kremlin’s mission is to erase everything Ukrainian from the face of the earth. Stalin weaponized food in 1932-33 just as putin is using food as a weapon today by sealing Ukraine’s grain ports.

Turning to russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Schumer pointed out that Ukraine is not demanding that American soldiers fight their battles. All Ukrainians want, he said, are weapons so that they can keep russia from rebuilding its empire. He said America must give Ukraine everything it needs without any conditions on aid.

“Today Ukraine is fighting for Poland and Eastern Europe and it’s fighting for America as well,” he declared. “By supporting Ukraine, we are supporting freedom and democracy.”

The ecumenical Moleben and Requiem was concelebrated by the Hierarchs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and Greek-Catholic Church, Archbishop Antony, Archbishop Daniel Zelinsky and Archbishop Borys Gudziak, and clergy. Archbishop-Cardinal Timothy Dolan welcomed the attendees. The assemblage was also addressed by Ukraine’s Ambassador to the US Oksana Markarova, Ukraine’s Ambassador to the UN Sergiy Kyslytsya, Ambassador Elisabeth Mallard, acting US representative to the UN Economic and Social Council, UCCA President Andrij Futey, and Michael Sawkiw, chairman of the US Committee for Ukrainian Holodomor Genocide Awareness and director of the Ukrainian National Information Service (UNIS). The New York City “Dumka” chorus conducted by Vasyl Hrechynsky sang the religious responses.

The observance began with a procession from St. George's Ukrainian Catholic Church on East Seventh Street and concluded with the attendees, led by Ukrainian diplomats, escorting a long blue and yellow banner from the cathedral's entrance to the altar.