'We Honor the Millions That Lost Their Lives During This Man-Made Catastrophe..'

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney

Statement by the Press Secretary on Holodomor

At this time of commemoration, Americans join with the people of Ukraine and with Ukrainians around the world in remembering those who died in the tragic events of the “Holodomor” —or “death by hunger”—in 1932 and 1933.  We honor the millions who lost their lives during this man-made catastrophe, in which Ukrainian farms and crops were seized in a deliberate attempt to break the will of the Ukrainian people.  It is a tribute to the courage and resilience of the Ukrainian people that, even in the face of this unconscionable cruelty, they did not abandon their pursuit of dignity, universal rights, and sovereignty.  The struggle of Ukrainians today to build a democracy that upholds those enduring values honors their memory. 

On this solemn occasion, as we remember and honor the victims of the Holodomor, we reiterate our call for universal respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and renew our commitment to preventing similar atrocities from ever happening again.