The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on Holodomor Memorial Day:

“Today, we join Ukrainians here in Canada and around the world to remember the millions of innocent people who suffered at the hands of a totalitarian Soviet regime during the Holodomor.

“Between 1932 and 1933, the regime used starvation as a weapon, seizing farms and crops across Ukraine. Millions of Ukrainians died from hunger. Countless others lost their lives in mass arrests, deportations, and executions.

“The Holodomor was a deliberate attempt – part of a systematic genocide – to crush the spirit and identity of the Ukrainian people. It failed. Ukrainians endured and, after decades of Soviet rule, Ukraine won its independence in 1991.

“For decades, the atrocities of the Holodomor were largely only known to its victims and those who orchestrated it. We must make sure the memories of those who suffered during the Holodomor live on, and that such horrors never happen again.

“On this solemn anniversary, I encourage all Canadians to remember the victims of the Holodomor, and to honour the immense role that people of Ukrainian heritage have played in the building of our country.

“Canada continues to stand with the people of Ukraine in their efforts to protect and preserve their sovereignty. We reaffirm our support for Ukraine’s government to protect its territorial integrity and its ongoing reform efforts to build a more secure, prosperous future for its citizens.”