European leaders, including the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, committed to maintaining Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders during the International Crimea Platform Summit hosted by Kyiv on Monday. The leaders also reaffirmed their support for Ukraine over the annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol by Russia in 2014.
The Summit, which marked the 30th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence from the Soviet Union, was attended by representatives from 46 countries and international organisations.
In his opening address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for international support to free Crimea and expressed his government’s willingness to resort to innumerable measures to “restore the sovereignty over Crimea, so that Crimea becomes part of Europe alongside Ukraine.” He then invited Russia to join the Crimean platform for cooperation on the de-occupation of Crimea.
Speaking at the Summit, President Michel said, “I am here to reaffirm the EU’s unwavering stance: we do not and will not recognise the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol by Russia. We will continue to enforce our non-recognition policy staunchly. And we will stand tall against any violations of international law.” He also informed about the measures adopted by the European Union (EU) to mitigate the repercussions of the annexation for Ukraine. The measures are part of the EU’s support to Ukraine under the Association Agreement, through which the Union has dedicated more than €16 billion to the country since 2014.
Additionally, Michel noted that the annexation of Crimea remains high on the international agenda and simultaneously slammed Russia for heavy militarisation of the peninsula and dire human rights situation.
Similarly, German Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy Peter Altmaier said, “Germany does not recognise and will not recognise the illegal annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation.” The Minister also condemned repression by Russian authorities on the Crimea Tatars and ethnic Ukrainians and referred to the annexation as a violation of the rule of law. Altmaier added, “We will not let turn Crimea into a blind spot on the map. We stand together with Ukraine, and we call for negotiations and the need to restore the international order.”
Likewise, French Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade and Economic Attractiveness Franck Riester said, “I would like to underscore three key points. Let me remind you that France does not recognise the illegal annexation of the Autonomous Republic of Crime and Sevastopol by the Russian Federation. We have been consistent in our support for the territorial integrity of Ukraine. The situation represents a threat to the international order.” The Minister also expressed concern over human rights violations in Crimea and blamed Russia for such systematic violations since it occupied the territory in 2014.
However, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov called the Summit “anti-Russia” and said, “An overwhelming majority of Crimeans voted to become part of Russia in a 2014 referendum, wanting protection from what the Kremlin cast as an illegal coup in Kyiv.”