On March 2, 2026, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy participated in an Iftar dinner with Ukrainian military personnel who practice Islam, representatives of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, and members of foreign diplomatic missions accredited in Ukraine.

The Iftar has been held at the state level since 2023, at the initiative of the President of Ukraine, during the holy month of Ramadan for Muslims. This year, the event took place on the grounds of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Crimea.

The Iftar was also attended by Olha Kuryshko, Permanent Representative of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea; Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov, Head of the Office of the President; Sergiy Kyslytsia, Deputy Head of the Office of the President; Pavlo Palisa, Deputy Head of the Office of the President; Olena Kovalska, Deputy Head of the Office of the President; Andrii Sybiha, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine; Ihor Klymenko, Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine; Nataliia Kalmykova, Minister of Veterans Affairs of Ukraine; Rustem Umerov, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine; Nariman Suleimanov, Head of the Prosecutor’s Office of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol; Tamila Tasheva, Member of Parliament of Ukraine; Mustafa Dzhemilev, leader of the Crimean Tatar people; Viktor Yelenskyi, Head of the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnic Policy and Freedom of Conscience; Refat Chubarov, Head of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People; Sheikh Murat Suleimanov, Mufti of the Religious Administration of Muslims of Ukraine “Umma,” and others.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the Ukrainian Muslim community and all citizens observing Ramadan. He emphasized the importance of this day and stressed that Ukraine does not forget its people under occupation and will not give up its temporarily occupied territories, including Crimea.

“We will not concede anything Ukrainian to Russia. This is our principled position—and not just of one person in Ukraine, not only of the state, but it is the position of millions of people,” the President emphasized.

Furthermore, Volodymyr Zelenskyy wished peace to peoples currently in danger, particularly in the Middle East, and thanked the countries that are helping Ukraine.

“We see what is happening in the Middle East and the Gulf region. We hope that the regime in Iran will not win, because it is an anti-human regime—it is spreading war throughout the region. We are all confronting the same evil—those who destroy lives, those who disrespect people. It is no coincidence that Moscow and the regime in Iran were so close. They are united by their disrespect for people. All of us in Europe and the world must be effective in defending against such regimes. We must be effective so that life prevails.”

The leader of the Crimean Tatar people, Mustafa Dzhemilev, also delivered opening remarks.

“The vast majority of our compatriots—about 90%, and according to other estimates, about 95-96% of the indigenous peoples—despite Russian propaganda, remain loyal to their country and pray for the success of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.”

During the event, the President of Ukraine also honored Ukrainian defenders who are directly participating in the war and fighting for the liberation of Ukrainian territories with state awards.

After the opening remarks, an exhibition was presented to the President of Ukraine, centered on the stories of service members from Crimea who are currently serving and those who have been released from captivity, such as Ruslan Kurmallaiev. The exhibition also featured the story of Alime, whose call sign was “Shtorm” (Storm). She was born in the Dzhankoi district of Crimea and currently serves in the National Guard of Ukraine.