On September 3, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted the Statement of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on the Steadfastness of the State Policy of Ukraine on the De-occupation and Reintegration of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol, which the Mission joined in drafting.

According to the text of the Statement, in particular, the following points can be distinguished: the restoration of Ukraine’s state sovereignty and territorial integrity within the internationally recognized state border is impossible without the de-occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol. Thus, the implementation of the Peace Formula of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy should result in the cessation of Russian aggression, de-occupation of all temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, release by the Russian Federation of all people deprived of their freedom as a result of armed aggression against Ukraine, restoration of international civilian navigation in the Azov and Black Sea region, prevention of armed conflicts and elimination of threats to peace in Ukraine and the world. Another critical point of the Statement is the release and return to Ukraine of all civilian and military prisoners, including those captured in the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea.

Another priority of the state policy is the reintegration of Crimea after de-occupation and the implementation of transitional justice principles. In addition, it remains essential to preserve and restore the historical and cultural heritage of Ukraine in Crimea as a way to save national and cultural identity. In particular, Ukraine will continue to restore historical justice for the colonial policy and genocidal crimes committed against Ukraine, including the deportation of the Crimean Tatar people by the Soviet totalitarian regime in 1944. 

​​The legislative initiative is essential on the eve of the next Summit of the International Crimea Platform. It allows the platform to continue supporting initiatives aimed at non-recognition of the attempted annexation of Crimea, countering attempts to legitimize the temporary occupation, and dispelling misinformation for the international community about the current situation in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.

In addition, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine was instructed to ensure that the text of the Statement is immediately sent to the governments and parliaments of the member states of the International Crimea Platform. The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine was recommended to take into account the provisions of this Statement when determining the fundamental principles and implementation of Ukraine’s state policy on the de-occupation and reintegration of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, in particular when preparing relevant draft regulations.

It is worth emphasizing that adopting the Statement will contribute to legal certainty regarding the consistency of Ukraine’s state policy on the de-occupation and reintegration of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol.