Memorandum to the Government of the United States on the Recognition of the Ukrainian People's Republic

In the tense wake of World War I, a Ukrainian envoy pens a formal appeal to the United States, asking Washington to acknowledge the fledgling Ukrainian People’s Republic as an independent nation. Addressed to the Secretary of State in May 1920, the memorandum captures the urgency of a region reshaped by collapsed empires and competing claims, and it sets the stage for a diplomatic plea that intertwines politics with identity.

The document unfolds a layered case for Ukrainian nationhood: a thousand‑year‑old presence on the fertile plains between the Carpathians and the Sea of Azov, a distinct language and cultural traditions, and a collective drive toward a constitutional democratic republic. Citing leading anthropologists and historical scholars, the envoy argues that Ukrainians constitute a separate racial and ethnic unit, not a mere province of Russia, and that their economic future depends on freedom from foreign exploitation. Listeners will hear a vivid snapshot of a people striving to define themselves on the world stage, offering a rare window into early‑twentieth‑century diplomatic history.