On the Day of Remembrance of Victims of Political Repressions, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine demands that Moscow open its archives and release documents regarding NKVD crimes, and called on the international community to condemn the crimes of the Soviet regime and counter the Kremlin's attempts to deny them. This was reported by the press service of the department, according to UNN.
We demand that Moscow stop hiding the truth from the world, open the archives, and release documents regarding NKVD crimes and other atrocities of the Soviet period, which will, in particular, allow for the establishment of the true names of the perpetrators and their victims, and restore historical justice
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also called on the international community to remember Soviet crimes, including executions, broken lives, and more. They also urged a decisive condemnation of Soviet crimes and demanded accountability for atrocities of both the past and the present.
In addition, the ministry called for countering the Kremlin's historical manipulations and Russian propaganda's attempts to deny these crimes, obstruct their investigation, or downplay and trivialize them; as well as to promote independent historical inquiries and research, and the dissemination of facts about the criminal nature of the Soviet regime.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that on the third Sunday of May, Ukraine marks the Day of Remembrance of Victims of Political Repressions. "Bykivnia Forest, Demianiv Laz, Sucha Balka, Piatykhatky, Rutchenkove Field, Sandarmokh, and other names will never be forgotten. These wounds will remain in our national memory forever. At the same time, every such scar reminds us of what we are fighting for today. For our people's right to exist, for our own freedom, life, and dignity," the message says.
The ministry added that millions of crimes committed by the Soviet regime were never properly condemned, investigated, or punished. It is this total impunity that led to the mass Russian atrocities during the current Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.
As reported, during the legal launch of the Special Tribunal in Chisinau, Ukraine's Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha emphasized that over the past centuries, Ukraine has suffered too many atrocities, oppressions, occupations, world wars, genocides, Stalinist repressions, Chernobyl, and other crimes, but has never seen true justice.
Now Ukraine and the world have a real chance to break this vicious cycle of impunity. That is why all current accountability mechanisms are so critically important. This includes the Special Tribunal, the Register of Damages, and the Compensation Commission, as well as investigations by the International Criminal Court, national justice systems, and the efforts of non-governmental organizations around the world
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is convinced that without justice for the victims of Moscow's crimes—both past and present—there will be no lasting peace, stability, or security on the European continent.
"The world has no moral right to fail," the department concluded.