The third "Crimean Platform" summit began in Kyiv on August 23. The purpose of this yearʼs meeting is "preparation for de-occupation". This was reported by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky.
At the previous two summits, it was confirmed that Crimea is part of Ukraine, but at this yearʼs summit, for the first time, the issue of Crimeaʼs reintegration after the war will be raised. Leaders of countries and governments intend to discuss the future of the peninsula and the problem of security in the Black Sea.
The summit takes place in a mixed format — some of the participants are present online. This year, the number of participants increased, including Bahrain, Serbia, East Timor, the UAE, the Danube Commission, the World Tourism Organization and UNESCO.
"In the year that has passed since the previous meeting on our ʼCrimean Platformʼ, Ukrainian soldiers have done extraordinary things. Ukraine has shown that the liberation of our land during military operations is not an accident. Everything is deserved, it is the heroism of our people and defensive support from our partners. [...] Ukrainian forces are moving forward. And this is the most important thing. We are moving, and when Russia retreats from captured territories, it simply closes its eyes. Russian society can turn a blind eye to the departure of the occupiers from Crimea," Volodymyr Zelensky noted at the opening of the platform.
The President emphasized that the Black Sea is the key to global food and social stability, and Crimea is the key to security in the Black Sea, "the keys cannot be left in the hands of terrorists."