"Establishment of Crimean Platform Support Group within NATO PA will be a strong signal to the Kremlin," Ruslan Stefanchuk
27 April 2021, 18:00
The creation of a support group for the Crimean platform within the NATO PA will be an important contribution to consolidating the efforts of the international community to counter Russia's aggressive policy, and will also be a powerful signal to the Kremlin.
This was stated by the First Deputy Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk during the inaugural meeting of the Crimean Platform Support Group within the NATO PA.
According to him, the goal of the "Crimean Platform" is the deoccupation of Crimea and its return to Ukraine in a peaceful manner. To implement the set of measures envisaged by the Crimean Platform initiative, Ruslan Stefanchuk suggested focusing on the formation of a broad stable coalition of states within the NATO PA in support of the Crimean Platform.
"We also need to strengthen cooperation with states to ensure a policy of non-recognition; security assurance, including freedom of navigation; maintaining sanction pressure on the aggressor state until the restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity within internationally recognized borders. At the same time, it is worth receiving support within the framework of Ukraine's course towards NATO membership," Ruslan Stefanchuk stressed.
According to him, the escalation of the conflict with Russia is the largest in recent years and poses a threat to the European security system. Given the violent demographic changes that the Russian Federation continues to pursue, the mobilization of Crimean residents to the Russian armed forces and the total militarization of the peninsula, the First Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Ukraine called on participants to continue to monitor the situation and take effective measures to deter Russia.