The International Crimea Platform was founded by President Zelenskyy in the summer of 2021 and aims to bring together and coordinate all existing national and international efforts to de-occupy the Ukrainian peninsula (https://crimea-platform.org/en/). It focuses on five priority areas:

1. consolidating international policy on the non-recognition of Crimea’s change of status,
2. the effectiveness and strengthening of sanctions and the prevention of their circumvention,
3. protection of human rights and international humanitarian law,
4. strengthening security in the Azov-Black Sea region and beyond, guaranteeing freedom of navigation,
5. overcoming the environmental and economic consequences of the occupation.

At the parliamentary level, the first edition of the Parliamentary Summit of the International Crimea Platform was held in Zagreb, Croatia, in October 2022. The parliamentary dimension of the Platform aims, in particular, to strengthen the policy of non-recognition of the attempted annexation of Crimea, to raise awareness among world leaders and the general public about the illegitimate occupation of Crimea, its negative impact on the human rights of the local population and on security in the Black Sea region.

Crimea is a peninsula with an area of 27.000 square kilometers , representing approx. 4 % of Ukraine’s total land area. The population is just under 2.5 million. Its geographical location in the Black Sea connects Europe and Asia, giving it a unique identity of cultural mix and making it strategically very important.  The peninsula was settled by a number of civilisations, including Greek, Byzantine, Mongol, Tatar and Ottoman, with three indigenous peoples formed here throughout centuries. Crimean Tatars, the largest among them, had their own sovereign state, Crimean Khanate, for more than three centuries. After 1783, the peninsula was colonised by the Russian Empire, of which most of present-day Ukraine was a part. The Crimean Peninsula is closely linked geographically, economically, historically, and logistically to mainland Ukraine, of which it has long been a part. This was the case even after the declaration of its independence in 1991. Ukraine was then recognised within its borders by the international community, including the Russian Federation. Moreover, in 1994, the latter undertook to respect Ukraine’s territorial integrity in the so-called Budapest Memorandum.

Within Ukraine, Crimea has the status of an Autonomous Republic and the city of Sevastopol, which has the status of a city of central subordination. On 20 February 2014, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation started the armed aggression against Ukraine, illegally crossing the Ukrainian state border in Crimea and subsequently occupying the whole peninsula.

The violent and illegal occupation and attempted annexation of Crimea is a gross and clear violation of international law and the UN Charter. Crimea was and remains part of Ukraine within the borders recognised by the international community in 1991 after its independence.

The system of international law is fundamentally fragile due to the absence of an enforcement mechanism and depends essentially on the goodwill of its subjects (i.e. states). Yet it is the cornerstone of today’s world order. What is more, for the Czech Republic, a rather smaller country in the world, compliance with its norms, especially as regards respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of each individual state, is absolutely essential. If Crimea were to be de facto recognised as part of the Russian Federation, it would set a dangerous precedent encouraging other aggressive powers to change their borders by force in their favour. The consequences of such a situation for the global economy and security would be catastrophic and would be felt very negatively by the Czech Republic and its citizens.

Even if we disregard the absolute amorality of Russian behaviour, which puts global stability at risk, there are still perfectly pragmatic reasons why it is in our interest to actively support the restoration of Ukrainian control over Crimea.

Crimea represents a strategic position within the security-wise critical area of the Black Sea. Russia’s continued militarisation of the peninsula is significantly worsening the security situation in the entire region. Moreover, Russia is abusing its position to disrupt maritime traffic. Ships carrying grain and other foodstuffs cannot sail to their destination ports, which has a negative impact on the populations of many low-income countries dependent on food imports. However, the disruption of the global food market negatively affects all countries. Russia’s militarisation of the Black Sea may have a similarly adverse effect on global energy security.

The aim of the International Crimea Platform is to support international efforts to restore the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and to draw the attention of the international community to this issue. The main objectives of the Platform are:

1. Return of Crimea to Ukraine: International Crimea Platform seeks to raise awareness of Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and put international pressure on Russia to return the territory to Ukraine. The Platform aims to support Ukraine’s rights to sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to generate discussion and action leading to the restoration of control over Crimea and its safe reintegration.
2. Diplomatic and political support: International Crimea Platform seeks to mobilise political and diplomatic support from the international community. The aim is to gain the support of states and organisations that recognise the illegitimacy of Russia’s annexation of Crimea and to put pressure on Russia through diplomatic channels.
3. Raising awareness: International Crimea Platform aims to raise awareness about the situation in Crimea and human rights violations in the region. It seeks to highlight human rights violations, pressure exerted on the Crimea’s Ukrainian citizens including indigenous peoples, and other issues related to the Russian annexation.
4. Coordination of international efforts: International Crimea Platform also serves as a forum for coordinating international efforts on Crimea. It seeks to build connections and enable cooperation among countries that support Ukraine’s territorial claims on Crimea, and facilitates the exchange of information and experience among stakeholders.

The International Crimea Platform office in Kyiv continuously monitors the situation in Crimea and serves as an expert body in drafting legislation and policy documents. Its work has so far resulted in several laws on the protection of the indigenous peoples of Ukraine (especially Crimean Tatars), the law on the protection of the illegally detained and their families, and strategic plans for the de-occupation of the peninsula and its reintegration back into Ukraine. However, resolution of the conflict will be a complex process that requires the cooperation and support of the international community. Thus, the results of the International Crimea Platform to date can only be seen as the beginning of diplomatic pressure and awareness-raising.

The First Parliamentary Summit of the International Crimea Platform resulted in a joint statement by the 39 participating countries, where they jointly condemned the annexation of Crimea and drew attention in particular to the treatment of Crimean Tatars, the ongoing militarisation of the peninsula, attempts to increase Russian settlement in the area by moving in people from the Russian Federation, or the use of Crimea as a route for the illegal export of Ukrainian grain from the other occupied territories of Ukraine. The joint declaration of participants to the First Parliamentary Forum is available here.

The Russian Federation reacted negatively to the creation of the International Crimea Platform, describing it as a hostile gesture. Russia refuses to discuss the return of Crimea to Ukraine and insists on its sovereignty over the territory.

Prague, as the capital of the Czech Republic, was chosen based on its political support given to Ukraine and other countries of the International Crimea Platform. The Czech Republic, after its own historical experience of the injustice of an environment where large states decide the fate of smaller ones through the use of force, cannot afford to stand on the sidelines and must actively raise the issue of Crimea, which some might see as an acceptable loss in the context of ‘wider war fatigue’.

The aim of the Inter-Parliamentary Summit in Prague will be to reiterate support for Ukraine and condemn the occupation of Crimea. This year’s event has the ambition to increase the number of participants, with an emphasis on the involvement of non-European countries and countries of the so-called Global South, whose voices are crucial within the international community.