Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the participants of the sixth summit of the international Crimea Platform, delivering his remarks via his Telegram channel. In his speech, the head of state emphasized that Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 marked the starting point of the aggressor state's systemic disregard for the international order, and that only the full return of the peninsula under Ukraine's control can serve as a guarantee of restoring security and the fundamental principles of international law. This is reported by RBC-Ukraine.
Crimea as a Condition for Normalization
At the heart of Zelensky's address is the thesis that "a full return to normal life cannot happen without Crimea." The president listed the specific components of this return: restoring security, protecting citizens and their lives, the release of prisoners held by Russia, and a return to the basic principles of international law. In his words, Russia must understand that territorial integrity, state sovereignty, and human lives are inviolable values that cannot be traded or revised unilaterally.
Black Sea Security and Conditions for De-escalation
Zelensky stated that Ukraine is ready to contribute to ensuring calm and safe shipping, as well as food security, in the Black Sea. At the same time, he emphasized that Russia is obligated to take real steps toward de-escalation. "Elementary respect for peace begins with simple things: food security, energy security, and the right of people to live without fear. Russia must go through these changes," the president declared, adding that respect for other states must be the first starting point for Moscow.
Broader Context: Liberated Territories and Negotiation Signals
The speech at the Crimea Platform fits into a broader set of statements made by Zelensky in recent weeks. Earlier, according to RBC-Ukraine, the president reported that the Ukrainian Defense Forces liberated 800 square kilometers of territory from Russian occupation in 2026. In addition, Zelensky declared Kyiv's readiness for an energy ceasefire with Russia, emphasizing that the cessation of shelling of energy facilities must be strictly mutual. In the same line of signals is the acceptance of personal negotiations with Vladimir Putin, which had not previously been voiced in such direct terms.
The Crimea Platform: From the First Summit to the Sixth
The international Crimea Platform was launched in 2021 as a multilateral format for coordinating efforts to deoccupy the peninsula. At the first summit in 2022, French President Emmanuel Macron stated that "the freedom of all of us and peace in all parts of the world are at stake," while Zelensky, in his address to the platform's first parliamentary summit, called for not stopping the work on returning Crimea. By the sixth summit, reported by RBC-Ukraine in September 2026, the format had evolved from a declarative one to a working-coordination one, and its agenda increasingly intertwines with issues of Black Sea security, food corridors, and the conditions for possible de-escalation of the conflict.
