Holodomor was genocide, says Italian Senate. On Wednesday afternoon, in a symbolic victory for Ukrainian statehood, Italian senators voted to recognise the Soviet-era, policy-induced famines in Ukraine amounted to genocide. The motion binds Italy “to promote in Italy and abroad awareness and remembrance of this tragedy;” 130 voted in favour, none against, and four abstained.
- The favourable vote follows the Lower House Foreign Affairs Commission’s own back in February and makes Italy the nineteenth country worldwide (besides Ukraine itself and the European Parliament) to recognise Holodomor’s genocidal nature.
Zelensky chimes in. “We commend the decision of the Italian Senate to recognise the Holodomor of 1932-1933 as a genocide of [the] Ukrainian people. On the 90th anniversary of the Holodomor, this step shows that there will be justice for the past and present victims of the Kremlin regime!” tweeted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Speaking of Russia… Hours before the vote, the Russian Embassy attempted to interfere with the Senate’s vote with a Kremlinspeak-ridden communiqué, warning senators against “follow[ing] the path of propaganda of the political and ideological myth fomented by the Ukrainian authorities to please the ultranationalist, neo-Nazi and Russophobic forces and their Anglo-American masters.”
- “We must keep the dialogue with Moscow open, but letters like this are returned to sender,” reacted Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani.
