Third Summit of International Crimea Platform Held in Kyiv

The Third Summit of the International Crimea Platform was held in the Ukrainian capital. The event was opened by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky. Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba also addressed the Summit participants.

As President Zelensky stated in his speech, the main task of the Crimea Platform is the preparations for the de-occupation of Crimea, and Ukraine has a clear path toward restoration of the territorial integrity and post-war transformation of the peninsula.

“The Black Sea is the key to global food and, therefore, social stability. Crimea is the key to security in the Black Sea. You can’t leave the keys in the hands of terrorists, and we won’t. Ukraine has a clear vision of how normal, peaceful, just, democratic life will be restored in Crimea after we dismantle Russian tyranny on our Ukrainian peninsula,” the President of Ukraine emphasised.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba said that Ukraine did not allow Russia to hide the issue of Crimea under the carpet and force the world to come to terms and accept the temporary occupation as the de facto status quo.

“The full-scale Russian invasion did not weaken. On the contrary, it strengthened the Platform and our joint determination to return Crimea to Ukraine. The number of participants and the geography of support continues to expand. Now, the Platform already covers Europe, Africa, Asia, and America. No matter how much time passes, the crime of occupation will be punished. Respect for the UN Charter must be restored, and Crimea must be returned to Ukraine,” Kuleba underscored.

“For me and for hundreds of thousands of Crimeans, Crimea is home. Just like (the) Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions are home to millions of Ukrainians whom Russia forced to leave their native places. Therefore, the Crimea Platform is not only the peninsula itself but also our other temporarily occupied territories and people. Our mission is very noble: to return the home to those from whom it was taken away,” said First Deputy Minister Emine Dzhaparova.

Representatives of foreign countries and international organisations confirmed their unwavering support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and also reaffirmed their assurance of continued support for Ukraine in its fight against Russian invaders.

The participants also expressed their support for the Peace Formula of the President of Ukraine.

The event was attended by the presidents of Lithuania, Portugal, and Hungary, the chairman of the presidency and member of the presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the prime ministers of Moldova and Finland, the minister of defence of the Netherlands and the senior advisor to the President of Türkiye, the Secretary General of GUAM, and the Director General of the Secretariat of the Danube Commission. The rest of the participants took part online or via video call.

For the first time, the Summit was attended by representatives of Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Serbia, Timor-Leste, the World Tourism Organisation, UNESCO, and the Danube Commission.

Background: The Crimea Platform is an international consultation and coordination format initiated by Ukraine to increase the effectiveness of the international response to the ongoing occupation of Crimea, strengthen international pressure on Russia, and achieve the main goal: the de-occupation of the peninsula and the full restoration of Ukraine’s sovereignty over Crimea.

Natalia Tolub