Address by the President to the Participants of the Parliamentary Summit of the International Crimea Platform
President of Ukraine
24 November 2025 - 13:04
Thank you so much, dear ladies and gentlemen!
Dear Sweden!
Honorable Mr. Speaker and all the friends!
Dear Ruslan!
I'm glad that the Ukrainian Crimea Platform, and its parliamentary track, continues to work and keeps attention on a simple truth - every nation and every state must be respected, and the core principles that kept Europe peaceful longer than at any other time in its history must be protected.
These principles are clear: respect for human life, no changing borders by force, and no "spheres of influence" - a polite term used to cover the desire to dominate other nations and wage wars of aggression. This is exactly what the Crimea Platform stands for: refusing to accept that launching wars of conquest is "normal," and refusing to normalize cruelty toward people and nations. Thank you for taking this principled position, and for clearly stating that the annexation of Crimea in 2014 was illegal.
We all understand the global reality - in a world of hundreds of nations, there are thousands of potential wars - some frozen, of course, some hidden under old deals, some still smoldering.
But in most cases, peace is upheld by international law, by conventions, agreements, and the UN Charter. If these principles do not work here, in Europe, then where will they work? It is a rhetorical question - and behind it lies a global fear that war, not peace, could again become humanity's everyday reality, as in darker times. We cannot allow that.
Right now, we are at a critical moment. And we are working closely with the United States, with European partners, with many, many others to define steps that can end Russia's war against us, against Ukraine, and bring real security. And there is a lot of noise in the media, a lot of political pressure, and even greater responsibility for the decisions ahead. Putin wants legal recognition for what he has stolen - to break the principle of territorial integrity and sovereignty - and that's the main problem. You all understand what that means. He wants it not only from Ukraine - he wants it from the whole world, and it's very dangerous.
And I want to stress one more thing - in the steps we've coordinated with the side of the U.S., we managed to keep extremely sensitive points on the table - including the full release of all Ukrainian prisoners of war under the "all-for-all" formula, and civilians, and the complete return of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia. These are important steps. But to achieve real peace, more, more is needed.
Of course, we'll continue working with partners, especially the United States, and look for compromises that strengthen, but not weaken us. And we will continue explaining how dangerous it is to pretend that aggression is something one can simply overlook and move on. And I ask you - do not stay silent, do not be passive observers of history - be participants.
It is important to support Ukraine now, and I thank you for that support. It is important to support the negotiation process, and I am grateful for every piece of advice and every bit of information we receive from European leaders. And it is crucial to support the principles on which Europe stands - that borders cannot be changed by force; that war criminals must not escape justice; and that the aggressor must pay fully for the war he started - and this is why decisions on Russian assets are essential.
Please support these decisions, and above all, keep pressure on Russia. Russia is still killing people. Every day. Occupied territories remain occupied. And that means Russia remains a criminal state. Today, almost 70 parliamentary delegations are present, and if parliaments in Europe, in the world, do not close their eyes to this, then no one will.
Thank you for your support.
Glory to Ukraine!
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