The responsibility for the Holodomor, the 1932-1933 famine in Ukraine, lies with Russia as the successor to the Soviet Union, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said on Saturday.

"The historical responsibility for the Holodomor lies with the Russian Federation as a successor to the USSR, and this crime has no statute of limitation. Yet again, like 100 years ago, Russia has launched an aggression against Ukraine to bring it back into empire (...) But I know for sure: they will no longer be able to turn the wheel of history in the opposite direction. Ukraine is confidently going down its own path," Poroshenko said on the 85th anniversary of the famine in Kyiv on Saturday.

On the eve of the anniversary "we heard words of memory about Holodomor victims from Pope Francis" and Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople offered his condolences and support to the Ukrainian people, the president said.

The patriarch said that, "it was a tragedy which speaks for itself among the other atrocities against the humankind and God's creation carried out in the 20th century," Poroshenko said.

To mark the anniversary, a "Ukraine remembers, the world recognizes" forum is taking place in Kyiv no Saturday, which brought together representatives from 50 countries, he said.

Poroshenko blames Russia as USSR successor for 1930s famine

KYIV. Nov 24 (Interfax-Ukraine) - The responsibility for the Holodomor, the 1932-1933 famine in Ukraine, lies with Russia as the successor to the Soviet Union, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said on Saturday.

"The historical responsibility for the Holodomor lies with the Russian Federation as a successor to the USSR, and this crime has no statute of limitation. Yet again, like 100 years ago, Russia has launched an aggression against Ukraine to bring it back into empire (...) But I know for sure: they will no longer be able to turn the wheel of history in the opposite direction. Ukraine is confidently going down its own path," Poroshenko said on the 85th anniversary of the famine in Kyiv on Saturday.

On the eve of the anniversary "we heard words of memory about Holodomor victims from Pope Francis" and Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople offered his condolences and support to the Ukrainian people, the president said.

The patriarch said that, "it was a tragedy which speaks for itself among the other atrocities against the humankind and God's creation carried out in the 20th century," Poroshenko said.

To mark the anniversary, a "Ukraine remembers, the world recognizes" forum is taking place in Kyiv no Saturday, which brought together representatives from 50 countries, he said.