Ukraine’s President Volodymir Zelensky on Tuesday vowed to regain control of Crimea, as a series of blasts rocked Russian military sites in the annexed peninsula this month.
Crimea
“The war began with Crimea and must end with Crimea”, the president said, reaffirming his ambition of reverting to the pre-2014 status quo, rather than just to Kyiv’s position before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24.
In the opening speech at the Crimea Platform summit, Zelensky said: „Ukraine is strong enough and powerful enough to see a perspective for Ukrainian Crimea,” Zelensky said. „We will bring freedom to Ukrainian citizens in Crimea, and we will restore justice to all those who suffered from the repressions and abuses of the Russian occupiers.”
„I know that Crimea is with Ukraine and waiting for us to return. I want you all to know – we’ll be back for sure,” he said.
Blasts
The blasts in Crimes this month come as the war nears the six-month mark and defy warnings from Moscow against attacking a region that holds deep strategic and symbolic value for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Kyiv has not claimed responsibilirt for the explosions, but top Ukrainian officials have hinted at their country’s involvement.
The sunmit gathered the leaders of more than 60 countries,many of them joining via video link.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: „the people of Crimea have endured a brutal and systematic campaign of human rights abuses by the Russian authorities, including the persecution of the Tatars, arbitrary arrests, with a tenfold increase in detentions in last year, and the restriction of land ownership to Russian citizens.”
Russian forces
„Once he had grabbed Crimea, Putin deployed more and more Russian forces in the peninsula, turning the territory into an armed camp from which to threaten the rest of Ukraine, and Crimea duly became the launch pad” for the Feb. 24 invasion.
„Ukraine has suffered six terrible months of war, but you have also shown your incredible ability to resist brutal aggression – to strike back, retake territory and impose major costs on Russia,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said.
He reiterated that NATO stands „in full solidarity with Ukraine” and allies support Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă pointed out that Romania shared the longest EU border with Ukraine. “Romania and the Romanian people have done their utmost to help” more than 800,000 Ukrainian refugees who fled the conflict, he said.
Land grab
He voiced concerns about Crimea becoming a textbook example for land grab by a foreign country.
The first Crimean Platform summit took place in Kyiv in 2021 and was attended by l EU and NATO member states as well as neighboring Moldova and Georgia, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.
The initiative was launched in 2020, amid fears that the occupation of Crimea was sliding down on the international agenda.
The platform aims to galvanise international support and policies with the final goal of returning Crimea to Ukraine.
Diplomatic event
In a statement ahead of the summit, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said the meeting was largest diplomatic event ever organized by Ukraine.
He highlighted Ukraine’s diplomatic efforts to engage countries beyond the Euro-Atlantic space into this diplomatic process, with more representatives of South American, African and Asian countries present at Tuesday’s event.
Polish President Andrzej Duda was the only foreign leader present in person at this year’s summit.
Leaders of G7 countries, and other states reiterated condemnation for Russia’s actions in Ukraine since 2014. They committed themselves to further sanctions and more economic, military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine.
Ethnic minorities
Zelenksy placed special emphasis on the situation of ethnic minorities in the peninsula, especially the Crimean Tatars. Human rights groups and international organizations have expressed concern over the arbitrary arrests, disappearances, and torture of Crimean Tartars who have opposed the occupation.
With additional reporting by Alison Mutler.
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