Captive Nations Week

Among the archive documents of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine there is a text of one of US President Ronald Reagan's addresses to captive nations. Against the background of the traditional declaration by the current American President Joe Biden of the third week of July (July, 17 through 23, 2022) as Captive Nations Week and the publication of the corresponding Proclamation, this and other similar materials from the Intelligence’s archive are important for understanding those measures that, for many decades, various peoples have been taking to defend their freedom and independence.

Captive Nations Week was started in the USA in 1953, and in 1959 this event was given official status with the adoption of a corresponding Resolution of the US Congress. President Dwight Eisenhower signed the resolution, which later became civil law. Since then, a series of mass events have been held annually until freedom and independence are achieved for all the captive nations of the world.

The Congress’ Resolution recognized the imperialist policy of communist russia through direct and indirect aggression as a threat to the independence of Poland, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Belarus, Ukraine, Czechoslovakia, Romania, East Germany, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkestan and other countries and nations.

Lev Dobryanskyi, head of the Ukrainian diaspora organization Ukrainian Congressional Committee of America, initiated the adoption of the Resolution and signing of the corresponding Proclamation by the President. From the first years, this initiative was actively supported by the Anti-Bolshevik Bloc of Nations (ABN) led by Yaroslav Stetsko, as evidenced by documents from the archive of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine. They have references to Ya. Stetsko’s letters sent to D. Eisenhower and other US Presidents with a request to support the Ukrainian people’s national liberation movement for independence.

In the archive files, there is also US President Ronald Reagan’s address to the participants of the ABN Conference, which took place in Toronto on November 20-22, 1986. “We all know about those numerous nations–victims of totalitarian ideologies, ruthless regimes and occupying armies. They are the nations that are enslaved by forces hostile to freedom, independence and national self-determination” (BSA of the SZR of Ukraine. - F. 1. - Case 13091. - V. 5. - P. 101). It goes on to say that the free civilized world will always support the nations’ aspirations for freedom and independence.

Even earlier, on July 19, 1983, according to open sources, while participating in the ceremony of Captive Nations Week, R. Reagan addressed all the enslaved nations of Eastern Europe with a clear message: “Your struggle is our struggle. Your dream is our dream. And one day you too will be free”.

Similar addresses and greetings that are in the archive, such as those from Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and other persons, caused considerable irritation among the kremlin leadership. The soviet union expressed strong indignation and criticized that law, and today russia continues to do the same, trying to initiate its cancellation, or at least introduction of amendments to the text of the law, in which the russian people are called “enslavers” of other nations.

Announcing Captive Nations Week today, US President Joe Biden said in the Proclamation published on the White House’s website that today, defending democracy is more vital and more urgent than ever. Increasingly, repressive regimes in Russia, Iran, Belarus, Syria, Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the People's Republic of China, and elsewhere are seeking to subjugate not only those within their borders, but also those who live in other countries.

Therefore, the United States remains committed to its commitment to all those who are oppressed around the world.

“We honor the valor and sacrifice of the people of Ukraine, who have reminded the world through their courage of the universal yearning for freedom. We will continue to stand with them as they defend their country, their liberty, and their democracy”, says the White House’s Proclamation.

So, the entire historical course of events shows that the struggle of peoples for their freedom finds support in the world, and this support and concrete help contribute to the achievement of independence and defending it in confrontation with the perennial aggressors and enslavers.