Germany's Parliament set to pass resolution declaring Holodomor a genocide

As Russia-Ukraine war continues, Germany's Parliament i.e. Bundestag has decided to pass a resolution that will declare Holodomor a genocide.

German parliamentarians hope this will act as a "warning" to Russia, as per a report from Guardian. However, it is unclear why Bundestag's decision to recognise Holodomor as genocide will be a "warning" to Russia, as Holodomor occurred during days of Soviet Union. 

It is worth mentioning that in recent years, Josef Stalin has become quite popular again in Russia. In period leing up to collapse of Soviet Union, after that, Stalin was remembered for all atrocities he committed against his own people. But some polls have shown that, over years, Stalin's popularity has been rising in Russia. He is not remembered for atrocities he committed but for his role in great patriotic war, which is a term Russians use to refer to World War II. 

human cost of Holodomor

Holodomor was result of Stalin's policies which aimed to collectivise farms in Ukraine. Eastern Ukraine was an industrial area but western Ukraine was much more agrarian and it is this area of Ukraine that was considered a hotbed of Ukrainian nationalism. As many as 4 million to 7.5 million people died due to Holodomor because Stalin wanted to undermine Ukrainian nationalism. 30 per cent of those who died were under age of 10 and y died out of hunger. 

Death due to hunger is considered one of most painful forms of death. Robin Wagener is a German Green party MP and he initiated resolution. It is expected that all parties of Germany, including opposition, will vote in favour of resolution. Holodomor will be included in a "list of inhuman crimes by totalitarian systems that extinguished millions of human lives in Europe in first half of 20th century," as per report from Guardian. 

“This recognition is even more important because Ukraine has once again become target of Russian aggression," said Knut Abraham, who serves as  Christian Democratic Union (CDU) ombudsman of parliament’s committee on legal affairs and human rights.