President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in his address at the opening of the Fifth Crimea Platform Summit, highlighted the global harm caused by Russia’s occupation of Crimea and the additional danger posed by the failure of the international community to respond promptly and decisively to aggression. He stressed that Russia’s occupation of the peninsula set a dangerous precedent: it demonstrated to other potential aggressors how easy it can be to violate state sovereignty with minimal immediate consequences.

“Crimea is not simply a piece of land. For millions of Ukrainians — and especially for the people of Crimea — it is home, identity and life. For Russia, territorial expansion appears to be a habit that can never be satisfied. But we must remember what Crimea truly represents, and we must act so that Russia is held accountable. We will not forget. We will not forgive,” President Zelenskyy said.

He emphasized Ukraine’s message: do not allow the normalization of Russia’s aggression. Humanity must not accept a world in which illegal occupation is treated as normal.This year, the Crimea Platform Summit is being held within the framework of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the United Nations.