UK Ambassador to Ukraine Martin Harris has called for decisive action against Russia’s use of food as a weapon during the 90th anniversary of the 1932-33 Holodomor artificial famine.

He highlighted that Russia destroyed 280,000 tons of grain in one month, enough to feed a million people for a year.
“Some people find it hard to imagine a regime that uses food as a weapon. But this is what we observe after the cessation of the Black Sea Grain Initiative,” he said.

The tactic of using food as a weapon is not new and has been employed before, including during the famines in Ukraine in 1932-1933 and 1946-1947. Harris emphasised the importance of disarming Russia and ensuring Ukrainian grain reaches those in need. Ukraine will re-launch grain exports regardless of Russia’s actions, and the ambassador emphasised the importance of documenting crimes committed during Russian aggression against Ukraine.

He recalled the story of UK journalist Gareth Jones, who visited Ukraine during the Holodomor of 1932-1933 and informed the world about the tragic events. Harris is proud to support the Ukrainian government and people in creating a catalog of evidence of Russia’s crimes during the brutal invasion in Ukraine.

The Holodomor, orchestrated by Joseph Stalin’s regime from 1932 to 1933, resulted in the mass starvation and death of millions in Soviet Ukraine. It was a brutal tool of Soviet policy, aimed at suppressing Ukrainian nationalism and resistance to collectivization. Through forced grain requisition and harsh policies, Stalin intentionally induced widespread starvation, leaving a devastating impact on Ukraine’s population and shaping a tragic chapter in 20th-century history. The term „Holodomor” reflects both the famine’s intentional nature and its profound impact on Ukrainian society.

The scale of the atrocity was not allowed to be discussed in Ukraine until the country gained its independence in 1991. It has also not received much attention internationally until very recently.