Live updates: Russia’s war in Ukraine
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz joined global leaders in marking the 90th anniversary of the Holodomor famine in Ukraine.
“Hunger must never again be used as a weapon,” Scholz said Saturday, speaking on the memorial day for victims of the Soviet-era famine that killed millions of people during the winter of 1932-33.
In a speech in Berlin, Scholz drew comparisons between the Holodomor, or Terror Famine — which was engineered by Soviet leader Joseph Stalin by removing food stocks from Ukrainian peasants — and Russia’s current actions in Ukraine.
“The gruesome tactics applied back then entailed isolation and the confiscation of grain and food supplies, the forced deportation of Ukrainians. Today, we stand united in stating that hunger must never again be used as a weapon. That is why we cannot tolerate what we are witnessing,” the chancellor said.
“We know that by targeting agricultural infrastructure in Ukraine and blocking Black Sea ports for months, Russia has exacerbated this situation,” Scholz added.
Scholz said that Germany would provide another $15.62 million for grain shipments from Ukraine in coordination with the World Food Programme.
“You can count on our support. Each ship that sails under this initiative doesn’t just carry grain. It carries hope for the world’s hungry. And it carries an important message. The message that we are united, that we will overcome this war. And that our joint humanity will prevail,” Scholz added.
