The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) adopted a resolution on Oct. 12 recognizing the Holodomor as a genocide of the Ukrainian people and calling on all member states to follow suit.
The Holodomor, a man-made famine that took place between 1932-33, occurred during Joseph Stalin's reign over the Soviet Union and caused an estimated 3.5 to 5 million Ukrainian deaths.
The resolution, titled "Ensuring a just peace in Ukraine and lasting security in Europe," urged support for international bodies in investigating and prosecuting Russia's crime of aggression against Ukraine amid its full-scale invasion in 2022, as well as other war crimes committed by Russia against Ukraine since its initial invasion in 2014. The resolution also urged assistance for Kyiv in implementing its peace formula.
The motion passed with 73 deputies voting in favor, one voting against it, and none abstaining.
President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the PACE decision, saying that "restoring historical justice and paying tribute to Holodomor victims sends a message that justice is inevitable for all past and present Moscow's crimes."
"Today's war of Russia against Ukraine is also genocide. Killing civilians, wanting to destroy our nation, steal history," Presidential Office head Andriy Yermak commented on the resolution's adoption.
"Russia will be responsible for this. They will not be able to erase the truth," Yermak added.
The Ukrainian government has called on the international community to recognize the Holodomor as a genocide. Around 30 countries have taken this step so far.
Alexandra Keeler
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