Today, November 17, the Third International Conference “Crimea Global. Understanding Ukraine through the South” began with a solemn opening ceremony. The event gathered more than 200 participants from around the world, including leading experts, scholars, journalists, human rights defenders, opinion leaders, and representatives of international organizations.
Those addressing the attendees included Iryna Mudra, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine; journalist Dmytro Khilyuk; First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Serhiy Kyslytsya; and Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People Refat Chubarov.
The moderator of the opening session was Tetiana Pechonchyk, Chair of the Board of the ZMINA Human Rights Center.
Olga Kuryshko opened the Crimea Global conference, emphasizing that it has become a platform for honest dialogue and meaningful engagement between Ukraine and countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, going beyond mere political statements.
“The world must not get used to war as something normal. Any attempt to legitimize the occupation is unacceptable and dangerous for the entire international order. We continue to emphasize that Crimea is Ukraine, and the struggle for its de-occupation is part of the global struggle for justice and the right of every nation to be free.”
Iryna Mudra addressed the community of states experiencing external interference, explaining that Russia is currently implementing a strategy of influence through information aggression, manipulation, and humanitarian pressure, particularly in Africa and Asia, where it is using food leverage and technological blackmail. “The occupation of Crimea in 2014 was the first attempt to change European borders since World War II, with Russia using manipulative referendums, repression, and disinformation against Crimean Tatars and Ukrainians,” Mudra emphasized.
“The occupation of Crimea in 2014 was the first attempt to change European borders since World War II, with Russia using manipulative referendums, repression, and disinformation against Crimean Tatars and Ukrainians,” Mudra emphasized.
Dmytro Khilyuk noted the cruel treatment of civilians, pointing out the torture of all those held captive, regardless of age or status, in Russian prisons. He emphasized that, in addition to physical violence by the Russian occupiers, psychological pressure was also applied: the Russians played Russian and Soviet songs, and those who, in the opinion of the occupiers, performed them poorly were tortured and humiliated even more severely. He noted that Russia currently holds over 2,000 civilians who are not combatants, but were initially kidnapped for the purpose of exchange and are now being held as leverage.
“We cannot free the hostages by military means, but we can talk about it. And I appeal to representatives of foreign states. I want to ask them to convey this message — Russia is lying. And I want your governments to use various diplomatic channels, both formal and informal, to put pressure on Russian officials to release the prisoners.”
Serhiy Kyslytsya stated that Russia’s war against Ukraine is a neo-colonial war, and also emphasized that for the Kremlin, Ukrainians are a resource for restoring an imagined empire. He reminded the foreign guests that the Russian occupation of Ukrainian territories is accompanied by the closure of Ukrainian schools, environmental damage, the removal of cultural valuables, massive human rights violations, and more.
“For Russia, Crimea is a resource. A resource for imperial ambitions, for military might in the Black and Mediterranean Seas, for seizing new territories and attempting to return to the world of the 19th century, where the greatness of a state is supposedly determined not by the dignified life of its citizens and the development of technologies, but by nuclear weapons and the ability to enslave other nations.”
Refat Chubarov, in turn, reminded that side-by-side with Ukrainians, the sovereignty of Ukraine is being defended by Crimean Tatars, Poles, Romanians—people of different backgrounds and faiths, but united by a common goal.
“У лютому 2014 року ми не змогли запобігти окупації Криму російськими військами, а в 2022 році стали свідками великої війни. Тепер ми не можемо припинити цю боротьбу без звільнення Криму, інших окупованих територій та відновлення територіальної цілісності України. На півострові не підкоряються загарбникам і чекають на своє визволення кримські татари, етнічні українці та громадяни України різних національностей. Я вірю, що ми їх звільнимо, і звільнимо Крим”.