UWC honors Remembrance Day

Today, on Remembrance Day, the Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) and Ukrainian communities worldwide pay tribute to all the brave men and women who, throughout the years, have served their countries to protect the fundamental rights and freedoms that we cherish today. 

Remembrance Day is traditionally observed on Nov. 11 to honor the end of World War I hostilities in 1918. The aftermath of what was called, the “Great War,” saw drastic political, cultural, economic, and social change across Europe, Asia, and many other regions not directly involved in the war.   

Despite a common perception that WWI brought an end to the age of empires, one of them – the Russian empire – managed to survive even until today, metamorphosing into different forms and names throughout the last century.

Present-day Russia remains a “prison of nations” and implements a systematic policy of forced assimilation toward its enslaved indigenous peoples. Moscow carries on its imperialistic war of aggression against Ukraine and its people, and commits horrific atrocities and war crimes on a large scale. What is more, it has been effectively sponsoring terrorist groups in various parts of the world for decades in an attempt to cripple the Trans-Atlantic unity and dismantle the rules-based international order. 

Today, we remember the fallen and also stand by all those who are defending Ukraine in its modern war for freedom and sovereignty against brutal and deadly Russian imperialism. We bow our heads in honor to all the brave Ukrainian defenders who are sacrificing their lives not only for Ukraine but also for the basic fundamental democratic values of the Free World. 

In these challenging times, we call upon the international democratic community to heed the lessons of history and continue standing strong with Ukraine. Despite all the difficulties, we cannot allow democracy and freedom to lose and Russia and its authoritarian allies to return the world to the era of empires and colonial wars. 

Lest we forget. 

Heroes never die!