London 27 August : UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has condemned Russia’s “cultural vandalism” in Ukraine, saying that the invaders are trying to destroy Ukrainian tradition in areas they have taken over.The Prime Minister announced that the UK will fund “cultural security measures” in Ukraine as well as continuing to give military and civil aid, according to the DPA news agency.
Mr.Johnson made the remarks on Friday in video messages to the Edinburgh International Culture Summit, which is held by the Scottish Parliament or Holyrood.
“Throughout time, we’ve seen the consequences of when aggressors seek to oppress and eliminate culture.We’ve seen this with the Nazis in the Second World War, the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, the Taliban in Afghanistan,” he stated.
“Today the world is witnessing a plethora of unforgivable actions of cultural vandalism This time in Ukraine.A large portion of (Russian president Vladimir) Putin’s bizarre explanation for his invasion is the false assertion that Ukraine is not an actual country.
“This is a lie he will try to prove by systematically erasing any evidence of the long-standing Ukrainian tradition from the land his troops hold,” Johnson added
The UK will finance “cultural heritage preservation measures” in addition to humanitarian and military assistance, he said.
A variety of cultural personalities from Ukraine were also present at the summit such as writer Oksana Zabuzhko as well as music producer Maryna Krut.
To mark the start of the summit, a cockerel-shaped ceramic cup that was presented to Johnson in Kiev will go to be displayed at Holyrood.
The Prime Minister as well as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky were handed matching glasses by an individual from Kharkiv while walking along the streets of the Ukrainian capital in April.
In Ukrainian folklore cockerels are believed to possess powers of protection.
This kind of jug became a symbol of Ukraine’s steadfast resistance to the invading Russian forces when photographer Elizaveta Servatynska captured an image of similar jugs sitting unharmed on a cabinet in an apartment block that was high-rise in March.
The structure, in Borodyanka, had been ripped apart due to Russian bombing.
