The Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) joins Ukrainians and friends of Ukraine around the world in celebrating Unity Day: January 22 is one of the most important dates in Ukraine’s history.
On January 22, 1919, the Ukrainian National Republic and the Western Ukrainian National Republic, which had previously been subjugated by the Russian and Austro-Hungarian empires respectively, proclaimed the Act of Unification that joined the two republics together into a single independent Ukrainian state. This declaration was the fruition of the Ukrainian national dream to live in a free, sovereign, independent and united nation state; the declaration that was made on this day 105 years ago, was the natural outcome of the Ukrainian nation’s liberation struggle. It also laid the foundation for the restoration of Ukraine’s independence in 1991.
Today, the brave people of Ukraine continue to fight for freedom, sovereignty and territorial unity against a deadly and brutal Russian aggressor state, which has occupied five Ukrainian regions: Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson. Through their policies in the temporarily-occupied Ukrainian territories, the Russians are striving to eliminate Ukrainian national identity through mass shootings, deportations and violence against the civilian population, abduction of Ukrainian children, and committing other crimes against civilians, like deliberate looting, theft of private property and valuables. Moreover, the Russians are purposefully changing the population in these territories by bringing modern-day ‘resettlers’ from the Russian Federation, just like Moscow regime did in the final chapter of the Holodomor, 90 years ago, when it resettled the Ukrainian lands that it had ethnically cleansed with people from Russia.
“Today, after nearly two years of Russia’s brutal full-scale war of aggression, Ukrainians around the world share an unprecedented sense of unity and solidarity, standing fearlessly in defense of their families and homeland. I am confident that, together, we will be victorious and liberate everyone suffering under Russia’s torturous occupation. We thank all our allies for their strong support of Ukraine, and call on them to increase supplies of the military equipment that Ukraine needs most, and seize Russian assets for Ukraine’s benefit,” UWC President Paul Grod said.
“On this Day of Unity, you can show your solidarity with Ukraine by supporting UWC’s UniteWithUkraine initiative that continues providing Ukraine’s defenders with critical equipment and the support that they tell us they need,” added Grod.
Our unity is our strength. United, we shall overcome!
Glory to Ukraine! Glory to Heroes!
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