The US federal government could recognize the Holodomor as genocide of Ukrainians
A draft resolution entitled "the actions of the Stalinist regime directed against the people of Ukraine," which was the result of efforts by the Ukrainian consulate in the United States, was passed in Washington State. The adoption of the resolution is the first such instance in the history of the United States in recognition of the Holodomor at the legislative level, as announced by the Honorary Consul of Ukraine in Washington and Oregon, Valeriy Goloborodko, in comments to LB.ua.
According to the diplomat, the Day of Remembrance for the Victims of Holodomor has been officially established by the legislatures of several States, including California, but there is no mention of the genocide in these documents.
"If the resolution is adopted, it will be a significant victory for the truth over the communist spirit, which manifests itself in the aggressive policy of today's Russia, and is directly related to the events in eastern Ukraine. Today, as in the past, we see how a lie and the denial of truth leads to the deaths of tens of thousands of people," Goloborodko explained.
According to the text of the resolution, "The Holodomor is recognized as a genocide conducted by the Stalinist regime against the people of Ukraine," in connection with which "the Senate of the State of Washington solemnly remembers and honors the millions of victims of the tragic famine that occurred in Ukraine in 1932-1933; and also calls for the legislative body to further appoint November 26, 2017 as the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Holodomor in Washington State and to encourage individuals, teachers, entrepreneurs, groups, organizations, and government agencies to participate in the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Holodomor by organizing appropriate activities aimed at commemorating the victims and raising awareness of Washington residents about this tragedy."
After approval, copies of this resolution will be immediately forwarded by the Secretary of the Senate to the US Committee on the Dissemination of Information on the Holodomor-Genocide in Ukraine in 1932-33, and to the Ukrainian Consulate in Seattle for further distribution.
It should be noted that this is not the first time the topic of the Holodomor has been raised in the US. On October 13, 2006, the US Congress adopted and President George W. Bush signed legislation "To authorize the Government of Ukraine to establish a memorial on Federal land in the District of Columbia to honor the victims of the manmade famine that occurred in Ukraine in 1932–1933." A year and a half ago, on November 7, 2015, in Washington, the opening ceremony of the monument to the victims of the famine in Ukraine in 1932-1933 was held.
The day before, the Prime Minister of Ukraine, Volodymyr Groysman, while in Israel, discussed the recognition of the Holodomor by the Knesset as a genocide of the Ukrainian people.
In 2017-2018 years ceremonies dedicated to the 85th anniversary of the Holodomor tragedy will be held in Ukraine.