Ярослав Олесницький, нота Міністру закордонних справ Великої Британії, Лондон, 16 листопада 1920
London, 16th November, 1920
Sir!
I am sending you herewith a Note addressed this day to H[er] M[ajesty] Foreign Office the substance of which is a demand by the Ukraine for immediate material help at this crisis in its long-drawn-out struggle against the Bolsheviks for independence. The end of this struggle is apparently at hand and it is for Great Britaine, as the leading world power, to say how it is to end. While in the Note he point is stressed that the aid in munitions, etc., is for the sole purpose of self-defense, it will be readily apparent the collapse of [Piotr] Wrangel has jeopardized the whole position in the East of Europe. The complete ascendancy of the Soviet Power in the Ukraine would assuredly be followed by a Bolshevik attack on the other Border States, and the crushing of these states could not but lead in its turn to the overthrow of Poland, thus effecting the removal of the last obstacle the an assault on Central and Western European civilization.
I have honour to be, Sir,
Your obedient servant.
Jar[oslav] Olesnitsky
To H[er] M[ajesty] Foreign Office
The events of the last few days render it necessary that the Ukrainian Diplomatic Mission in the United Kingdom should once more state emphatically the position of the Ukrainian National Government. It has often been said and it must again and again be stated that the Ukrainian National Government in its fight with the Moscow soviet Government has no intension to interware in Russian affaires. Neither has the Ukrainian national Government been connected with any «White» forces which have endeavored to overthrow the Soviet Government. It has never been in league with [Piotr] Wrangel. The Ukrainian Government has carried on a purely defensive war, aiming at securing the independence and free development of the Ukraine, an independence so decidedly and repeatedly called for by all representative bodies of the Ukrainian nation.
It once again the Bolshevik Armies are to sweep over the Ukraine, Europe will be face to face with the danger of invasion by a strong, imperialistic and aggressive power. If, on the contrary success attends the Ukrainian Army, the Bolsheviks will have to conclude peace with the Ukraine, a peace so necessary to her development, a peace so ardently desired so long as her sovereignty and free existence is not endangered.
For this righteous war of self-defense, the Ukraine stands in heed of much assistance. She has gladly given of her manhood but she needs munitions and equipment for her Army (now a well disciplined force of over 100 000 men). She needs manufactured goods of all kinds for those parts of the country delivered from the foreign yoke, the Moscovite invaders.
Firm in the justice of her inalienable right to self-existance the Ukraine through its Government approaches the Governments of Entente, all and severally, with a view to securing those munitions and goods – so desired and essential, and for which the Ukraine is ready and able to pay in food and raw materials – to sole aim and with he only purpose of self-defense.
Jar[oslaw] Olesnitsky
Acting Chief of the Mission
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Друкується за примірником Місії УНР у Швейцарії, машинопис / ЦДАВО України Ф. 4211. – Оп. 1. – Спр. 3. – Арк. 195-196.
Примірник Міністерства закордонних справ УНР, машинопис / ЦДАВО України Ф. 3696. – Оп. 2. – Спр. 121. – Арк. 63-64.
Опубліковано
Архів Української Народної Республіки. Міністерство закордонних справ. Дипломатичні документи від Версальського до Ризького мирних договорів (1919–1921) / Упоряд.: Валентин Кавунник. – Київ: Інститут української археографії та джерелознавства ім. М. С. Грушевського, 2016. – С. 459-460.