In a series of publications on the eve of the 30th anniversary of the Independence Day of Ukraine the Embassy of Ukraine to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan would like to shed some light on a number of pressing issues facing our country as well as our goals and priorities.  

The key priority and number one issue on the agenda of Ukraine since 2014 has been and remains the de-occupation of Crimea and some of the territories in the East of Ukraine. 

With that in mind Ukraine has come up with a new international forum– the Crimea Platform - assigned with the task of mobilizing the international community around the idea of de-occupation of Crimea and giving a new drive to protecting the norms and principles of international law globally. 

Being an active security contributor internationally, it is critically important for us to provide effective tools of mitigating the immediate and long-term consequences of the Russian aggression against Ukraine in the wider European and global security context. 

Things are not OK. Following Russia’s attempted annexation of Crimea the situation on the peninsula has deteriorated in every aspect. Negative trends vary from increasing militarization to forceful changing of demographic structure of the population of Crimea, from political persecution to irresponsible environmental policies, from systemic ethnic and religious discrimination to expulsion of independent media from the peninsula.

The Platform will provide a strategic vision to the process of Crimea’s liberation, channel the resources of international community towards the Crimean track and add synergy to the current efforts on intergovernmental, interparliamentary and expert levels.

The support of the Platform by the international community is going to send a powerful message that the current status-quo will never be tolerated, that there is a force to protect international law, inviolability of internationally recognized borders and our common values – human rights and fundamental freedoms. 

Despite the Russian efforts to derail the Crimea Platform and prevent states from joining it, the core of the de-occupation coalition is gathered already and set for further growth. The inaugural Summit of the Crimea platform on August 23rd will be the first event at the level of heads of state and governments dedicated to the issue of Crimea de-occupation. The Platform will work simultaneously on intergovernmental, interparliamentary and expert levels. 

The success of the Crimea Platform will be measured not only by de-occupation of Crimea, but also by contribution to strengthening the European and global security. Through participation in the Crimea Platform the international community will send a powerful message that “Crimea is Ukraine” and it will never change. 

This message is as important as ever today. Against the backdrop of the negative consequences of the global COVID-19 pandemic there are state and non-state actors who will try to blur the boundaries of the normal international behavior, push the limits of the acceptable and try to capitalize on the general sense of uncertainty globally. 

We have to stand together against those actors with a renewed sense of solidarity and resolve. 

At the end of the day it is not only about Ukraine, it is not only about Crimea, it is about global security, it is about all of us standing up to the risks and challenges in the times of peril.  

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