EU vows support to Ukraine on Stalin famine anniversary
Zelensky says his country will continue to resist Russian atacks that have targeted energy grid, causing power cuts as temperatures plunge with the onset of winter
European leaders renewed pledges of support to Ukraine on Saturday on the 90th anniversary of the start of the Holodomor famine that affected millions of Ukrainians under Soviet leader Joseph Stalin.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country will continue to resist Russian atacks that have systematically targeted Ukraine’s energy grid, causing power cuts as temperatures plunge with the onset of winter.
“Ukrainians went through very terrible things. Once they wanted to destroy us with hunger, now -- with darkness and cold,” Zelensky said in a video posted on social media.
“We cannot be broken,” he added. Several European leaders were in Kyiv on Saturday to commemorate the victims of the 1932-33 Holodomor -- Ukrainian for “death by starvation” -- which is regarded by Kyiv as a deliberate act of genocide by Stalin’s regime.
According to Polish and Lithuanian media, the prime ministers of these two EU countries were in Ukraine for talks that could in particular focus on a possible new wave of migration from Ukraine this winter.
Ukraine’s Border Guard Service said Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki was in Kyiv and “honoured the memory of the Holodomor victims” at a memorial in the Ukrainian capital.
Belgium’s Prime Minister Alexander De Croo was also in Kyiv on his first visit since Russia invaded.
“Arrived in Kyiv. Ater the heavy bombing of recent days, we stand with the people of Ukraine. More than ever before,” he said on Twiter, posting photos of him shaking hands with Zelensky.
According to the Belga news agency, Belgium pledged a further 37.4 million euros ($39 million) of financial aid for Ukraine.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced in a video statement 15 million euros in aid to support Ukrainian grain exports, which have been disrupted by the war.
Lawmakers from Germany are set to recognise the Holodomor as “genocide,” according to a drat text of a joint resolution from Germany’s ruling coalition and the opposition seen by AFP.
The German resolution says that up to 3.5 million people are believed to have died that winter alone but historians put the total death toll as high as 10 million.
The Holodomor has long been a source of hostility between Russia and Ukraine.
Russian contests this designation, placing the events in the broader context of famines that devastated regions of Central Asia and Russia.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities endeavored on Saturday to restore electricity and water services ater recent pummeling by Russian military strikes that vastly damaged infrastructure, with Zelenskyy saying millions have seen their power restored since blackouts swept the war-batered country days earlier.
Skirmishes continued in the east and residents from the southern city of Kherson headed north and west to flee ater punishing, deadly bombardments by Russian forces in recent days.
“The key task of today, as well as other days of this week, is energy,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly televised address late Friday. “From Wednesday to today we have managed to halve the number of people whose electricity is cut off, to stabilise the system.” He said, however, that blackouts continued in most regions, including Kyiv, the capital.
“In total, more than 6 million subscribers are affected. On Wednesday evening, almost 12 million subscribers were cut off,” Zelenskyy added.
He allowed himself a rare show of pique about how Kyiv authorities were faring, alluding to “many complaints” with the rollouts of “points of invincibility” - public centers where residents can stock up on food, water, batery power and other essentials - in the capital.
“Please pay atention: Kyiv residents need more protection,” he said.
“As of this evening, 600,000 subscribers have been disconnected in the city. Many Kyiv residents were without electricity for more than 20 or even 30 hours.” “I expect quality work from the mayor’s office,” he said, alluding to the administration of Mayor Vitali Klitschko.
The president and the mayor have sporadically sparred since Zelenskyy took office in 2019.