Ninety-one years ago, Joseph Stalin and the Soviet regime engineered the Holodomor, a forced and deliberate famine that killed millions of Ukrainians. We remember the men, women, and children who perished during the Holodomor. We also honor the survivors of the Holodomor and their descendants who, despite Stalin's efforts to repress Ukraine's national identity, have built a free, independent, and democratic Ukraine.
Today, as we mark the solemn anniversary of the Holodomor, we also renew our commitment to stand with the Ukrainian people in their time of need. For nearly three years, Russia has been waging a brutal war against the Ukrainian people in an attempt to wipe Ukraine off the map. In this effort, Russia has failed. Kyiv stands free, thanks in part to the United States and the more than 50 other countries that are committed to providing Ukraine with the assistance it needs to defend itself.
My message to the Ukrainian people on this day is clear: The United States honors your past and stands with you in the present. On this day, we reaffirm our commitment to supporting Ukraine's ongoing defense of its freedom, its pursuit of justice, and its path to the Euro-Atlantic future it has chosen for itself. The courage and strength of the Ukrainian people will prevail.
