On February 26, 2025, the Day of Resistance to the Occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine released a joint statement from the participants of the International Crimea Platform. The document reaffirms steadfast support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized 1991 borders and strongly condemns Russia’s illegal occupation of Crimea.

The participants of the International Crimea Platform reiterated that the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol are and will remain an integral part of Ukraine. They emphasized that restoring Ukraine’s territorial integrity is a key element in achieving a just, lasting, and comprehensive peace. The statement also denounced Russia’s occupation of Crimea, Sevastopol, as well as Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions, highlighting that it constitutes a violation of international law and the principles of the UN Charter.

The joint statement of the International Crimea Platform participants highlights the systematic violations of human rights in the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea. The participants underscored the persecution of Crimean Tatars and Ukrainians for their pro-Ukrainian stance, the use of repressions, unlawful arrests, torture, enforced disappearances, and the fabrication of criminal cases against those who resist the occupation administration.

The statement also condemns the suppression of religious freedoms, particularly the destruction of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, the persecution of Muslim communities, and the seizure of religious sites. Among them are the Cathedral of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Volodymyr and Olga in Simferopol and the Holy Cross Exaltation Church in Yevpatoriia.

The statement also emphasizes the illegality of the forced deportation of Ukrainian citizens from Crimea, including the forcible removal of children, their coerced adoption in Russia, and the imposition of Russian citizenship, all of which constitute gross violations of international humanitarian law.

The participants of the Crimea Platform highlighted the key role of the Crimean Tatars in resisting the occupation and reaffirmed their commitment to supporting their rights. They stressed that Russia is systematically erasing Crimean Tatar culture, persecuting activists, and unlawfully banned the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, in direct violation of international law.

The participating countries also welcomed the release of Crimean Tatar political prisoners Nariman Dzhelyal and Leniie Umerova and once again called for the immediate release of all unlawfully imprisoned individuals, who, despite inhumane conditions, continue to demonstrate resilience and resistance against the occupation regime.

Special attention was given to the militarization of Crimea, which poses a direct threat to the security of the Black Sea region. The participants emphasized that Russia is using the peninsula to strengthen its military presence in the Black Sea, endangering maritime navigation, energy security, and the region’s environmental stability.

The Crimea Platform participants called for further tightening of sanctions against Russia and the implementation of mechanisms to counter sanction evasion through third countries. They also highlighted that Russia’s illegal economic activities in Crimea, including the illicit export of looted resources, directly fund its armed aggression against Ukraine.

The participants expressed their gratitude and support for Crimean resistance activists, who, despite constant danger, continue to document Russian war crimes, spread truthful information, and organize acts of civil disobedience.

We thank the participants of the International Crimea Platform for reaffirming our shared, unwavering stance: Crimea is Ukraine. The fight for its de-occupation will continue until Ukraine’s territorial integrity is fully restored.