This statement was made by Chairman of the Verkhovna
Rada of Ukraine, Ruslan Stefanchuk, during the opening of the event "The
Deportation of the Crimean Tatar People in 1944: From the Recognition of
Genocide to the Restoration of the Crimean Tatar People's Rights within the
Ukrainian State," which took place ahead of the Third Parliamentary Summit
of the International Crimea Platform.
In his opening remarks, the Chairman of the Ukrainian Parliament noted that
Ukraine and Latvia are historically connected by the events happening in
Ukraine today. “There is no need to explain in detail to our Latvian colleagues
what is happening in Ukraine now. We have experienced this together many times,
as it has been repeated in our history. This did not only happen in Ukraine or
Latvia; it happened in all the countries that were colonized by russia,” Ruslan
Stefanchuk said.
He emphasized that it is particularly symbolic that the Third Parliamentary
Summit is being held in Riga, the capital of a country whose people endured
repression, just as the Crimean people faced deportation in 1944.
“The deportation, the humiliation, the denial of humanity, and the rejection of
the right to be a nation—these are all examples of how russia behaves. And this
is not just about Ukraine or the Crimean Tatars; their goal is to enslave all
peoples and revive the russian empire, which they want to call the 'Soviet
Union 2.0,'” emphasized the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
For this reason, he believes, all partners must unite and do everything
possible to ensure that russia loses the war against Ukraine.
The event "The Deportation of the Crimean Tatar People in 1944: From the Recognition of Genocide to the Restoration of the Crimean Tatar People's Rights within the Ukrainian State" is dedicated to the 1944 deportation of the Crimean Tatars and the pathways to restoring their rights in the independent Ukraine.