IV Parliamentary Summit of the International Crimea Platform: Global Parliamentarians Define the «Red Lines» for Peace and Call for Increased Pressure on the Aggressor
On 24 November 2025, the Fourth Parliamentary Summit of the International Crimea Platform was held in the Riksdag, the Parliament of Sweden. The forum brought together representatives of nearly 70 parliamentary delegations from around the world. The key theme of the meeting was the discussion of a just end to russia’s aggression, the de-occupation of Crimea, and the establishment of lasting peace.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, speaking online at the opening of the summit, emphasized the critical danger of russia’s attempts to legitimize its crimes. «putin wants legal recognition of what he has stolen — to break the principles of territorial integrity and sovereignty — and this is the main problem. You all understand what this means. He wants this not only from Ukraine — he wants it from the entire world, and that is extremely dangerous,» Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated.
The President noted progress in upholding key principles of the peace process, including the full release of Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilian hostages, as well as the return of children abducted by russia. He stressed that achieving genuine peace requires not only negotiations but also strengthened defense capabilities, reliable security guarantees, and maximum pressure on the aggressor.
For his part, Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk thanked the Swedish partners for organizing the summit and for their consistent support of Ukraine throughout nearly four years of full-scale war. He outlined the key principles of Ukraine’s peace plan and the “red lines” on which no compromise is possible.
«No legal recognition of russia’s occupation of Ukrainian territories. No restrictions on the capabilities of Ukraine’s defense forces. No veto on Ukraine’s right to choose its future alliances,» Ruslan Stefanchuk emphasized. He added that any genuine peace process must be based on the principle: «Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine, and nothing about Europe without Europe».
The Speaker highlighted the need to strengthen the defense capacities of both Ukraine and Europe, to maximize sanctions pressure on russia, and to use frozen russian assets as an instrument of accountability. «Ukraine’s membership in the EU and NATO must also be elements of both Ukraine’s security guarantees and the peace plan,» he added.
Speaker of the Riksdag Andreas Norlén emphasized the importance of historical lessons and support for Ukraine: «That is what Ukraine’s struggle is about. The right of a nation to choose its own destiny,» he stated. According to him, the threat to Ukraine’s freedom and territorial integrity is also a threat to all nations.
The principles of territorial integrity and state sovereignty are not subject to negotiation, underscored Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Mike Johnson. He stated that «russia’s brazen and devastating attacks on innocent people in Ukraine are unacceptable». “We understand that peace cannot be achieved through weakness. Peace is secured by strength,” Johnson stressed.
Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden Maria Malmer Stenergard underlined the need to uphold borders and punish the aggressor. «Our position remains that for a just and lasting peace, borders cannot be changed by force,» she said. She also stressed the importance of holding the aggressor accountable and using frozen russian assets, as «this is russia’s war, and russia must pay for it and cover the damages».
It was also noted that russia will not stop even if it gains what it seeks today. President of PACE Theodoros Rousopoulos cited the example of Crimea, pointing out that the aggressor did not stop after illegally annexing the territory.
Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People Refat Chubarov emphasized the inseparability of Crimea from Ukraine and the rights of Crimean Tatars. «Crimea is an integral part of the Ukrainian state. Crimea is not just a territory; Crimea is the heart of the Crimean Tatar people,» he said. Chubarov called for the rights of Crimean Tatars to be fully considered in the peace process. «No negotiations on ending the russian-Ukrainian war can take place without a real discussion of the future of the Crimean Tatar people,» he stressed.