On the Day of Resistance to the Occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, Ruslan Stefanchuk, urged international partners not to give Russia a chance to solidify its occupation of Crimea.
This statement was made during the forum marking 11 years of war, titled “Starting Point: Crimea,” as reported by a correspondent from ZMINA.
According to him, the temporary occupation of Crimea is not merely a short-term loss of territory but also entails thousands of crimes committed by Russians against Ukrainian citizens.
“This is an attempt, in particular, to erase the Ukrainian identity of the peninsula, to close schools, to ban the language, and to destroy the national memory,” said the Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada.
He called on Ukraine's partners to strengthen sanctions and hold war criminals accountable – to face a tribunal.
“The isolation of Russia must be complete. And most importantly, support for Ukraine through weapons, finances, and diplomacy must remain unwavering. I believe Crimea will be liberated because we have the truth on our side. Because our people are with us. Because the entire civilized world stands with us,” Stefanchuk stated.
He urged Ukraine's international partners not to give the enemy any opportunity to affirm their occupation.
“Every action you take is a step towards justice and peace. Dear colleagues, beloved friends, I thank everyone who is here today,” he said.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Oleksandr Myshchenko also stated during the forum that the current occupying authorities are even worse than the Soviet ones.
The Soviet regime occupied, but this one destroys. It systematically and consistently eliminates any bearers of the Crimean idea and Crimean Tatar identity. That is why every year we fight, but we remember that they kill the youth, they kill those who remember, they kill those who can resist. Therefore, we must do everything possible to ensure that we do not forget but rather accelerate our victory as much as possible,” Myshchenko said, assuring that the Ukrainian state would never renounce Crimea.
As is known, the Russian Federation began its military aggression from Sevastopol. On February 20, 2014, during a visit to Crimea by Russian presidential aide Vladislav Surkov from the Cossack Bay in Sevastopol, where the 810th Brigade of the Black Sea Fleet's Marine Corps is based, a column of armored personnel carriers emerged heading out of Sevastopol.
The following day, Russian authorities explained that the Black Sea Fleet was transitioning its units to a “heightened state of security due to the complicated political situation in Ukraine.” It was mentioned that the marine units were to enhance the protection of Russian military installations not only in Sevastopol but also in other regions of Crimea.
Ukraine commemorates the Day of Resistance to the Occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol annually on February 26. This date is dedicated to the largest rally of resistance held outside the Verkhovna Rada of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.
As explained by the head of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, Refat Chubarov, on February 26, Moscow aimed to create a “glamorous image, as if the Crimeans were asking to join Russia,” through an extraordinary session of the Crimean parliament.
It was on this day that Russia failed to implement a peaceful scenario for the annexation of the peninsula through a parliamentary vote, and on the morning of the following day, it launched a military operation, seizing the building of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea's parliament.