UWC President joins international Crimea Platform Summit

Paul Grod, President of the Ukrainian World Congress (UWC), attended the fourth international Crimea Platform Summit. This Summit serves as a key forum for exploring strategies to liberate Crimea and reaffirm Ukraine’s territorial sovereignty.

On the sidelines of the Summit, Paul Grod held important meetings with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy. The UWC President thanked the high-ranking officials for their consistent support of Ukraine, emphasized the importance of allowing Ukraine to use long-range weapons on the territory of the Russian Federation, and called for continued steadfast support for the Ukrainian people in their fight against Russian aggression.

UWC President also met with Ukraine’s Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, Crimean Tatar Mejlis leaders, including Nariman Dzhelyal, recently released from Russian captivity, the Permanent Representative of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Tamila Tasheva, and Ukraine’s Prime Minister, Denys Shmyhal.

A total of 60 participants attended the Summit, including Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, and Latvian Prime Minister Evika Siliņa.

“True peace must have no alternatives. No frozen occupations, no people left in captivity, no forgotten repressions that are seemingly forgiven by the world. We all strive for peace. We all need security. Therefore, we must work together to bring Ukraine’s victory closer—a truly lasting peace. I am confident we will achieve this peace—true, just, and lasting. And we shall witness Crimea free,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, addressing the participants of the Crimea Platform.

The Crimea Platform is an international consultation and coordination format initiated by Ukraine, aimed at increasing the effectiveness of the international response to the occupation of Crimea, responding to growing security threats, increasing international pressure on the Kremlin, preventing further human rights violations, and protecting victims of the occupation regime. The main goal of the Crimea Platform is to work out ways to peacefully de-occupy Crimea and return it to Ukraine. The summit was held for the first time in Kyiv on August 23, 2021.