Ukraine welcomes adoption of new UNGA resolution on Crimea

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry welcomes the adoption at the 74th session of the UN General Assembly of a new resolution on the situation of human rights in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, Ukraine.

"We are grateful to partners for their strong support for the Ukrainian initiative and further consolidation of the policy of non-recognition of the annexation of the Crimean peninsula. The document adopted by the UN General Assembly is yet another manifestation of the insistence of the international community in the protection of fundamental freedoms and human rights, principles and norms of international law," the ministry said in a statement on Thursday, December 19.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry stressed that in the resolution, the UN General Assembly refers directly to the term "aggression" regarding Russia's illegal actions in Crimea, saying that no territorial acquisition or special advantage resulting from aggression is or shall be recognized as lawful, as well as demanding the immediate return of the temporarily occupied territories.

In addition, the UN General Assembly noted Russia's deliberate policy to change the demographic structure in Crimea, including by transferring its own population to the illegally occupied peninsula and using repressive legislation as a political tool to intimidate, persecute and expel from Crimea those who disagree.

"Such actions are expressly prohibited by international humanitarian law, in particular, the Fourth Geneva Convention, Additional Protocol I thereto, and entail liability in accordance with the provisions of the 1998 Statute of the International Criminal Court," the statement reads.

The ministry also welcomed the reaffirmation by the General Assembly of the call to release Emir-Usein Kuku, as well as other Ukrainian citizens illegally detained by Russia, and called on Russia to ensure unimpeded access for international monitoring missions, including the OSCE SMM and non-governmental human rights missions, to the temporarily occupied peninsula.

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