On the 79th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe, the Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) joins the international community to honor the memories of the millions who perished and to celebrate the bravery of the valiant men and women who defeated the evil Nazis war machine. We pay our deepest respects to the 250,000 courageous Ukrainians who served in the armed forces of Poland, France, Britain, the United States, and Canada. Their bravery and sacrifice will never be forgotten.
This year marks a significant milestone as for the first time Ukraine joins the free nations of Europe in observing the Day of Remembrance and Victory over Nazism. This observance is a stark rejection of the Russian-Soviet tradition of “victory obsession,” which has long been used to foster militarism, chauvinism, and imperial neo-revanchism. We remember the catastrophic toll of the Second World War, initiated by the Molotov-Ribbentrop alliance between Soviet Union and Germany, and their joint Nazi-Soviet invasion of Poland in 1939, which brought untold suffering to Ukraine—a nation caught between the tyrannies of Hitler and Stalin.
Despite the end of World War II, peace and freedom eluded Ukraine, which endured decades of Russian-Soviet oppression before asserting its independence in 1991.
“Today, the Ukrainian people once again defend their families from Russia’s renewed aggression,” stated UWC President Paul Grod. “We condemn Russia’s genocidal war, the complicity of their people in these crimes, and the distortion of WWII history by Russian leadership. Russia cynically justifies their war on Ukraine as de-Nazification which is a veil for the ethnic cleansing of Ukraine.”
“As we remember the victims and heroes of World War II, we urge all nations to unite against the malign force of Russian chauvinism. It is imperative that the international community acts decisively to dismantle Putin’s regime and support Ukraine in reclaiming its full sovereignty. Just as Nazism was defeated, so too shall we overcome Russian imperialism.”
On this day of remembrance, let us reaffirm our commitment to peace, freedom, and support for of the Ukrainian people.
Cover: open sources
