Slovenia's National Assembly has adopted a declaration commemorating the Ukrainian victims of the Holodomor genocide, Ukraine's Embassy in Slovenia reported on May 23.
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. Some scholars say the number may have been as high as 10.5 million.
The Ukrainian government has been calling on the international community to recognize it as a genocide.
According to the declaration, as cited by the embassy, Slovenia "condemns the genocidal actions that caused the death of millions of Ukrainians and inflicted great damage to the foundations of Ukrainian society."
Slovenia also "condemns and rejects attempts to distort historical facts, expresses solidarity with those who lived through the Holodomor, and pledges to preserve the memory of all the victims of these intentional, cruel, and criminal actions, while committing to promoting awareness of the tragic historical events in Ukraine during this period."
Ukraine's Embassy in Slovenia wrote that they welcomed the decision, adding that "the recognition of such horrific crimes will prevent them from being repeated in the future."
Aside from Slovenia, at least 22 countries recognized the Holodomor as a genocide of the Ukrainian people. Several countries and institutions did so in 2022 and 2023. Those include Iceland, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Germany, Ireland, and Bulgaria.
In December 2022, the European Parliament also recognized the Holodomor as a genocide of the Ukrainian people and urged Russia to issue an official apology for the atrocities committed by the Soviet regime.
Asami Terajima
