Yesterday at 19:25
On March 16, 2014, the Russian Federation, having seized the power by armed force in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, held the so-called “referendum on the status of Crimea.”
Illegal “expression of will” held at gunpoint of the Russian military contradicted the Constitution and the laws of Ukraine, grossly violated international law, as well as international obligations of the Russian Federation under bilateral agreements with Ukraine and the Budapest Memorandum.
As time has shown, this was the first stage of Moscow’s plan aimed at destroying Ukrainian statehood and expanding Russia’s geopolitical dominance in the region.
After eight years of massive militarization of Crimea and the build-up of Russia’s military capabilities, the Kremlin committed another act of armed aggression and viciously attacked Ukraine, launching a full-scale war in Europe.
The territory of the peninsula and the waters of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov have become lodgement areas for the offensive ground operation of the Russian armed forces in southern Ukraine and the barbaric rocket attacks on Ukrainian cities and civilian objects. Conscripts from the Crimea were also involved thrown into the Russian-Ukrainian war. Russia has once again cynically violated international law, international humanitarian law, and the very foundations of humanity and morality.
In 2014, Russia embarked on a slippery slope towards international isolation – it was excluded from the G8, deprived of a vote in the PACE, became the subject of lawsuits in international courts and of international sanctions. Today, Russia faces a full international isolation and became a leader as regards measures imposed against it by the international community. The Ukrainian diplomats will continue working with partners to further strengthen them.
The Russian Federation continues to persecute and illegally imprison the indigenous people of Crimea. Three Crimean Tatars were detained today – human rights activist Abdureshid Dzhepparov, who was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020, as well as Yakubov Fevzi and Muhammad-Ali Dzhepparov.
We will return Crimea and every single piece of our land temporarily occupied by Russia, and hold Russia and its leadership responsible for all the crimes committed by it in Ukraine.
Relevant proceedings initiated by Ukraine are being considered in international courts. Today the decision of the UN International Court of Justice in the lawsuit Ukraine v. Russia on the charges in genocide under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide is expected.
The Russian Federation must stop the war against our state, withdraw its troops from the entire territory of Ukraine, including the Crimean peninsula, release all illegally detained residents of Crimea and compensate for all caused damages.
Ukraine highly appreciates the support of the international community, including the Participants in the International Crimean Platform, of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our state, as well as solidarity with Ukraine in this difficult period. We are grateful for all the military, political and humanitarian support provided to Ukraine and its citizens by the foreign partners. At this crucial moment in European history, when Ukraine deters the Russian aggressor at the EU and NATO doorstep scarifying the lives of its people, we reiterate our call to our partners to establish a no-fly zone over Ukraine and strengthen our defense capabilities by providing Ukraine with air and missile defense systems.
