Permanent Representative of Ukraine Tamila Tasheva visited the Embassy of Estonia in Ukraine and met with Marko Mihkelson, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu, the Parliament of the Republic of Estonia. Nariman Dzhelial, First Deputy Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, recently released from Russian captivity, also attended the meeting.

During the meeting, the Permanent Representative spoke about the main areas of work of the Mission and drew attention to the crimes of the occupiers in Crimea, including pressure and systematic persecution of Ukrainian citizens who resisted the occupation regime. The issues of the deportation-genocide of the Crimean Tatar people, a crime of the Soviet totalitarian regime in 1944, which was the culmination of the colonialist policy and which continues today through illegal detentions and repressions against Crimean Tatars, were also raised. The Permanent Representative emphasized that only in Ukrainian Crimea can the rights of the Indigenous peoples of Ukraine and all residents of Crimea be guaranteed and protected. Hence, the liberation of Crimea is essential for our country. 

Mr. Mihkelson expressed his sincere support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity and assured that it would only be a matter of time before Crimea returned to Ukraine. Ukraine’s victory is also undoubtedly crucial for justice and security in Europe, particularly in the Baltic region. The Estonian MP supports our military and has repeatedly visited the combat zone. Marko Mihkelson also agreed that unpunished crimes are consistently reproduced, so bringing the aggressor to justice is crucial. 

“It is essential that Russia be held accountable for all the crimes it is committing now. The Soviet Union was not held accountable for its crimes in Ukraine and the Baltic states. A tribunal for Putin and all Russian criminals, as well as the liberation of all Ukrainian territories, is something the whole world should fight for,” Mr. Mihkelson added. 

We thank Estonia for supporting Ukraine in various fields and for its active participation in the Crimea Platform Summits!