1. Babyn Yar remains one of the most horrific symbols of the Holocaust. At this site, tens of thousands of people were murdered by the Nazis simply because of who they were. On 29 and 30 September 1941 alone, nearly 34,000 Jews were murdered. They must never be forgotten. Today, we honour the memory of all the victims of Babyn Yar and of all those murdered during the Holocaust.
2. Remembering the victims of Holocaust is not only an act of commemoration; it is our responsibility to ensure that such tragedies never happen again. The European Union remains firmly committed to combating all forms of discrimination, intolerance, racism and antisemitism, including acts that publicly condone, deny or grossly trivialise the Holocaust. We will continue to safeguard the memory of the victims and uphold the values upon which a peaceful and democratic Europe is built.
3. The European Union strongly condemns Russia’s attempts to manipulate and
instrumentalise the memory of the Holocaust to justify its war of aggression against Ukraine. We reject, in the strongest terms, the inaccurate and appalling use of the term “denazification”. Russia has also continued to misuse international fora, including the OSCE, to spread disinformation and false narratives. Such rhetoric grossly distorts historical truth, desecrates the memory of Holocaust victims and survivors, and seeks to undermine democratic principles.
4. We furthermore condemn Russia’s deliberate attacks against historical, religious and cultural sites in Ukraine, including the Babyn Yar memorial site. Memorial sites and places of remembrance must be protected, preserved and respected.