Ambassador Neil Holland marks Ukraine’s Independence Day and condemns Russia’s efforts to eradicate Ukrainian identity through its illegal war of aggression.
By Neil Holland
Last Saturday we marked two milestones: 30 months since Russia launched its illegal full-scale invasion of Ukraine and 33 years since the Ukrainian people chose independence. The contrast between these two events could not be greater.
President Putin’s illegal war is a story of desperation and attempted subjugation, the latest chapter of which has been the massive barrage launched on Ukraine’s cities and energy infrastructure last night. Ukraine’s independence story, however, is one of values; of hope and freedom. Ukraine’s Act of Declaration of Independence received overwhelming support across the country. It received broad international recognition, including from president Yeltsin. In contrast, Russia’s war has resulted in sham referenda that received almost no international recognition. And because the Ukrainian people, and the majority of the world, stand united behind Ukraine’s sovereignty, its independence will endure, while this illegal war will ultimately fail.
Following Russia’s illegal full-scale invasion, which is a violation of the UN Charter and OSCE principles, Ukrainians are fighting for their land and their centuries-old identity. Russia has tried to erase Ukrainian identity and culture through a systematic effort of repression.
Since the start of the full-scale invasion, Russian attacks have damaged as many as 400 cultural sites, including religious sites, museums, and other cultural property. Russian forces are believed to have stolen more than 28,000 artworks and artefacts from the Kherson Regional Museum. In May, a Russian missile destroyed one of the largest printing houses in Europe, Factor Druk in Kharkiv, destroying 50,000 books.
These attacks on Ukraine’s past and its present are abhorrent, but we are seeing evidence that Russia is also targeting Ukraine’s future. Thousands of Ukrainian children have been taken from their families, forcibly deported from their homes and subjected to targeted re-education in an attempt to sever their link with their homeland. The independent OSCE Moscow Mechanism report on this issue concluded that Russia’s actions constitute violations of international humanitarian law, international human rights law and, in some cases, war crimes.
Ukraine’s culture is important in its own right but also significant for what it represents. Now more so than ever, it stands as a symbol of resilience and resistance. Ukrainian national identity burns brightly despite Russia’s efforts to steal artefacts, re-educate children and eliminate national traditions. And Ukraine’s identity – forged in the face of adversity and hardship – will endure. For this reason, I look forward to 2025, when we will again celebrate Ukraine’s independence, resilience and national identity, and I hope we can do so without needing to remark on another milestone in this senseless and illegal war.
Before I conclude, we are deeply saddened by the news that a British national media worker has died following a Russian strike on a hotel in Kramatorsk. Our thoughts are with his family, and we join all those who are mourning their loved ones as a result of this war.
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