Today Ukraine will host the second summit of the Crimean Platform

This year will be more guests at the summit than last year: more than 60 foreign participants [countries and organizations] have confirmed their participation in the forum. For security reasons, the event will be held online.

The Crimean Platform is the first central international negotiating platform for Ukraine on the de-occupation of Crimea. Last year, the founding summit of the Crimean Platform in Kyiv brought together representatives of all NATO and EU countries and caused significant irritation in Russia. Forty-six international delegations attended it.

According to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba, the decision to hold the second summit of the Crimean Platform, even during the war, is fundamental.

“We want to send an obvious signal: even if – in theory – the enemy will again stand near Kyiv, we will still plan the de-occupation of Crimea. It is essential to understand that no matter how difficult, we must always think strategically - the time will come when we de-occupy our territories. And the summit of the Crimean platform is a signal of exactly this,” the minister said.

The following have confirmed their participation in the summit:

• German Chancellor Olaf Scholz
• Canadian Prime Minister Justine Trudeau,
• Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida
• NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg
• Maria Pejcinovic-Buric, Secretary General of the Council of Europe.

The Crimean Platform Summit 2022 will focus on the following main topics:

• the role of the temporary occupation of Crimea in the deployment of full-scale aggression against Ukraine;
• joint efforts aimed at restoring security and stability in the region of the Black and Azov Seas;
• further steps in response to Russia's violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in Crimea, in particular against ethnic Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars;
• strengthening the policy of non-recognition of any change in the international legal status of Crimea;
• the effectiveness of sanctions, their strengthening, and prevention of circumvention.