Unprovoked genocide of the Ukrainain people and their culture

Echo opinion to the Editor of The New York Times: (Maine Writer- Russian unprovoked genocide of the Ukrainian people and culture beyond belief!)

Re “A Culture in the Cross Hairs” (Arts, nytimes.com, Dec. 20):

NYTimes: Your important report on Russia’s systematic destruction of Ukraine’s cultural sites rightly considers whether these attacks are targeted or the result of indiscriminate assaults. In either case, they are prohibited under international humanitarian and human rights law, and may constitute war crimes, a conclusion that PEN America and PEN Ukraine draw in our report this month “Ukrainian Culture Under Attack.”

Destruction of Ukrainian cultural heritage and identity has been Russia’s aim for hundreds of years. Since 2014 when Russia occupied Crimea and Eastern Ukraine, cultural erasure has been its goal; this continues to be the goal in the current full-scale invasion.

As groundwork is laid to eventually hold (evil!) Vladimir Putin and his (heinous!) lieutenants accountable under international law, it is essential that crimes against culture be recognized and prosecuted.

Accountability is critical both as a signifier to the Ukrainian people that their cultural survival and vitality matter to the world, and to strengthen the international norms that protect against invasive efforts to obliterate cultural identities.

Liesl Gerntholtz, New York

The writer is director of the PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Center.

In our 100th year, PEN America fought harder than ever to defend free expression and protect writers and storytellers in the US and around the world.