18 March 2018 will mark four years from the time when the Russian Federation, blatantly violating international law, illegally occupied Crimea, an integral part of the territory of the Ukrainian state, and subsequently launched military actions in Eastern Ukraine.
The Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) continues its resolute condemnation of these aggressor acts of the Russian Federation, highlighting the ongoing militarization of the peninsula and its gross violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms, specifically the persecution and imprisonment of Ukrainians, Crimean Tatars and the pro-Ukrainian population of the illegally occupied territory.
The UWC commends the international community for steadfastly upholding a strong position in support of the territorial integrity of Ukraine including Crimea and maintaining sanctions in response to the violation of international law by the Russian Federation while calling for the release of all political prisoners.
European Union (EU) High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini called on UN Member States to fully implement non‑recognition measures of the illegal annexation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol in a Declaration issued on 16 March 2018 stating:
Four years on from the illegal annexation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol by the Russian Federation, the European Union remains firmly committed to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The European Union remains committed to fully implementing its non-recognition policy, including through restrictive measures. The EU calls again on UN Member States to consider similar non‑recognition measures in line with the UNGA Resolution 68/262. The European Union does not recognise the holding of elections by the Russian Federation in the Crimean peninsula.
In order to protect the residents of Crimea from additional persecution by the occupying authorities and to prevent their isolation, the UWC calls for the deployment of an OSCE monitoring mission to the peninsula or in its absence, a remote monitoring mission.
“The Ukrainian World Congress highlights the very serious threat of the Russian occupation of Crimea to global peace and security, and calls upon the international community to firmly continue to uphold the return to Ukraine of the illegally occupied peninsula while maintaining pressure for the release of all Crimean Tatar and Ukrainian political prisoners,” stated UWC President Eugene Czolij.
