Vitaly Saenko12:18, 01/22/24

The head of state said what is needed to “return the truth about the historical past for the sake of the Ukrainian future”

President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky signed a decree on the territories historically inhabited by Ukrainians in the Russian Federation.

“Today we must take steps not only to strengthen the Unity of Ukraine and our people, but also actions for the Unity of rights and freedoms, the truth about Ukrainians, the truth about us and the truth about our history,” the head of state said  in his congratulations on the occasion of the 105th th anniversary of the Day of Unity of Ukraine.

He noted that for this purpose he signed the decree “On the territories of the Russian Federation historically inhabited by Ukrainians.

“This is the return of the truth about the historical past for the sake of the Ukrainian future,” the president said.

As stated in the decree of the head of state No. 17/2024 of January 22, Russia over the centuries has systematically committed and continues to commit actions aimed at destroying national identity, oppressing Ukrainians, violating their rights and freedoms, including on the lands historically inhabited by them in the Kuban , Starodubshchina, Northern and Eastern Slobozhanshchina within the modern Krasnodar Territory, Belgorod, Bryansk, Voronezh, Kursk, Rostov regions of the Russian Federation.

Zelensky instructed the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine to develop, with the involvement of international experts, representatives of the World Congress of Ukrainians, scientists, the public, and to submit to the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine an action plan to preserve the national identity of Ukrainians in the Russian Federation, including on lands historically inhabited by them (in Kuban , Starodubshchina, Northern and Eastern Slobozhanshchina within the modern Krasnodar Territory, Belgorod, Bryansk, Voronezh, Kursk, Rostov regions of the Russian Federation).

The government needs to consider taking a number of steps.

In particular, to work on “the issue of collecting and studying facts and evidence about crimes committed against Ukrainians living (living) in the territories of Russia historically inhabited by ethnic Ukrainians, the policy of forced Russification, political repression and deportations against Ukrainians, restoration and preservation of historical memory, including the creation of a center on these issues.”

In addition, to intensify work to counter disinformation and propaganda of the Russian Federation regarding the history and present of Ukrainians in Russia and all peoples enslaved by it, with the involvement of domestic and foreign scientists, experts, representatives of the Ukrainian public abroad and organizations of foreign Ukrainians in the preparation and conduct of events aimed at debunking Russian myths about Ukraine.

Also, develop interaction between Ukrainians and peoples enslaved by Russia.

At the same time, to ensure, together with the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, the preparation and dissemination in Ukraine and the world of materials about the more than thousand-year history of the Ukrainian state, the historical connections of lands inhabited by ethnic Ukrainians with Ukrainian national state entities in different historical periods, and also to cover in curriculum and textbooks for educational institutions on the true history of ethnic Ukrainians on the lands historically inhabited by them within the Russian Federation.

Historical justice – which territories of Ukraine are included in the Russian Federation

There are many ethnic Ukrainian territories on Russian territory. In particular, such territories include Starodubshchina, Kuban, Green Wedge and others.

Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russian invaders have been deporting Ukrainians en masse and kidnapping Ukrainian children. The Russians send all of them to different remote corners of the Russian Federation.

In addition, in November 2023, the Commission to establish the fact of captivity presented interim results of its work, according to which 4,337 Ukrainians are in Russian captivity .

(C)UNIAN 2024