Photo: Kay Nietfeld/dpa/picture alliance
Roman Shvartsman, an 88-year-old resident of Odesa who survived the Holocaust as a child, spoke to members of the German Bundestag and drew parallels between Nazi crimes during World War II and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, DW reports.
“In those days, Hitler wanted to kill me because I was Jewish. Today, Putin wants to kill me because I am a Ukrainian,” he said during a parliamentary session dedicated to commemorating the victims of Nazism on 29 January.
Call to Germany: Give Ukraine more weapons
Roman Shvartsman, who is the head of the Odesa Regional Association of Jews and represents Holocaust victims, called on Germany to increase military assistance to Ukraine.
“I am appealing to you: arm us so that Putin stops this war of destruction! ” he stressed. Shvartsman particularly stressed the need to supply Ukraine with long-range missiles that would help the Ukrainian military to defend the country more effectively.
“Our moral duty is to stop barbarism”
In a speech to German parliamentarians, Schwartzman recounted the horrors of the Holocaust that he experienced as a child.
He recalled that at the age of five, he found himself in the Bershad ghetto in the Vinnytsia region, where he faced humiliation, hunger and fear of death every day.
“Modern generations must do everything possible to ensure that no one else suffers such suffering. This is our historical and moral duty,” he stressed.
After Shvartsman’s speech, the deputies gave him a standing ovation.
Steinmeier: Germany’s responsibility has no statute of limitations
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who also spoke at the meeting, thanked Shvartsman for his participation and assured Ukraine of Germany’s support.
“I consider it an honour that you are here today,” he said, stressing that Germany’s responsibility for the crimes of Nazism has no statute of limitations.
“Memory has no statute of limitations, and therefore our responsibility cannot end,” Steinmeier said.
He also stressed that the Holocaust is an integral part of German history, and attempts to “erase, diminish or forget” these crimes undermine the democratic foundations of society.
Ukraine is fighting for freedom, as the victims of Nazism once did
Roman Schwarzmann’s speech in the Bundestag was an emotional reminder to Europe of its moral obligation to support Ukraine. His words were not only a testament to historical memory, but also a call to action that resonates through decades of tragedy and struggle for freedom.
