The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk addressed the participants of the Second Parliamentary Summit of the International Crimea Platform
First of all, the Speaker of the Parliament of Ukraine expressed his gratitude to the Czech Republic and its Parliament for the hospitality and the fact that Prague became the venue for the forum.
“We have gathered at the Second Parliamentary Summit of the International Crimea Platform because we are aware of the need for joint action to address one of the most painful challenges of our time. We are all convinced of the need to preserve the international legal order and respect for international law,” said the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
At the same time, Ruslan Stefanchuk noted that the world’s response to the occupation of Ukrainian Crimea and Donbas was weak and insufficient to deter the kremlin regime from further, more aggressive steps: “International mechanisms of conflict prevention and resolution did not work – and the aggressor moved on to the next phase.”
“Without the full restoration of the territorial integrity of Ukraine, including Crimea, there will be neither a comprehensive, just and sustainable peace for our country nor security for the whole world,” said the Speaker of the Parliament of Ukraine, adding that the key to victory and restoration of peace is the liberation of the entire territory of Ukraine from the invader. “Any talk of peace or truce is meaningless as long as russian troops remain on our internationally recognised territory. Otherwise, it will be a new war that will be a burden on the shoulders of our children,” he stressed.
In addition, Ruslan Stefanchuk stressed that Ukraine needs more support: “Heroism can defeat the enemy if it is properly armed.” He noted that Ukraine needs weapons and ammunition, and called on the parliamentarians present to support the efforts of their governments.
“Sanctions are our collective response to acts of aggression. It is a clear signal that we will unwaveringly support the rule of law and international norms,” said the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, adding that it is also a way to weaken russia’s military and economic potential and its ability to continue this war.
“The protection of human rights and international humanitarian law is a moral imperative that goes far beyond pure politics,” Ruslan Stefanchuk stressed. He also noted that it is necessary to act decisively and take all possible measures to ensure respect for human rights and bring the russian occupation administration to justice for all the crimes and atrocities they commit on the temporarily occupied lands of Ukraine: “These crimes have no and cannot have a statute of limitations, and punishment must find every criminal, no matter how far they hide, as well as the russian leadership, which must be held accountable for the crime of aggression against Ukraine.”
In addition, the Speaker of the Parliament of Ukraine stressed that russia has caused a lot of grief and destruction – to infrastructure, economy, cultural heritage, ecology, and most importantly – to people. “russia must pay for this damage. We are grateful for the decision to freeze russian assets abroad, but these are only frozen assets,” he stressed, adding that all those present at the Second Parliamentary Summit of the International Crimea Platform are lawmakers, and it is a joint effort to seek and create legal algorithms to solve complex issues.
In conclusion, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada noted that Ukraine, having experienced all the horrors of the russian aggressive war and all the imperfections of the international security system, has come up with an initiative whose implementation can create a comprehensive, just and sustainable peace. “The Peace Formula proposed by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi contains ten points that define the basic principles and mechanisms for ending the war and restoring peace in Ukraine, including the need to improve the United Nations,” he said, stressing that the Formula is designed not only to bring peace to Ukraine and Europe, but also to prevent future wars, reformat the global security system, and create a new secure and just world order.
“russian aggression began with the seizure of Crimea and must be completed with the liberation of the entire territory of Ukraine, including Crimea,” said the Speaker of the Parliament of Ukraine.