On the occasion of the Day of Resistance to the Occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol, the forum "11 Years of War. Starting Point: Crimea" was held in Kyiv at the initiative of the Mission of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, and the Office of the Crimea Platform.
The event was attended by more than 180 participants who discussed the situation in the temporarily occupied Crimean peninsula and the need to increase the international community's focus on this issue.
The Permanent Representative of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Olha Kuryshko, expressed gratitude to activists for continuing their resistance to the Russian occupation, as well as to volunteers and international partners for supporting Ukraine in its fight for territorial integrity.
"Every sanction, every decision, every action in support of Ukraine is another step toward the liberation of Crimea. The Crimea Platform is a joint international platform working for the de-occupation of the peninsula," she emphasized.
Within the framework of the forum, participants also discussed the challenges of reintegration, legal assistance, and support for those affected by the occupation.
Among those who took part in the event were: Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Ruslan Stefanchuk, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Oleksandr Mishchenko, Vice-President of the European Parliament Pina Picierno, and Member of the European Parliament – Permanent Rapporteur on Ukraine Michael Gahler.
On February 26, 2014, a rally of Crimean Tatars and Ukrainians was held outside the building of the Verkhovna Rada of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea in support of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and in protest against the Russian occupation. On the same day in 2020, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree establishing February 26 as the Day of Resistance to the Occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol.