Russia's attempts to legitimize occupation of Crimea will not be recognized by global community
The joint statement was published on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
“Seven years ago, on 27 March 2014, the United Nations General Assembly by an overwhelming majority of UN member states adopted Resolution 68/262 “Territorial Integrity of Ukraine”. By this resolution, the international community affirmed, loud and clear, its full commitment to the sovereignty, political independence, unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders,” the document says.
Its authors state that despite the clear demands of the General Assembly, the Russian Federation has not stopped its temporary occupation of Crimea. On the contrary, it continues flagrant human rights violations and abuses, and military build-up on the peninsula.
“These actions of the Russian Federation that undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and its violations and abuses of the human rights of persons belonging to ethnic and religious minorities on the peninsula and all others who oppose Russia’s occupation, prompted the General Assembly to adopt resolutions 71/205, 72/190, 73/263, 74/168, 75/192 “Situation of human rights in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, Ukraine” and 73/194, 74/17, 75/29, “Problem of the militarization of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, Ukraine, as well as parts of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov”. In these resolutions, the General Assembly condemned the temporary occupation of Crimea and urged the Russian Federation, as the occupying power, to uphold all its obligations under applicable international law,” the statement reads.
Russia’s actions have been of global concern, inconsistent with international law, including the UN Charter, and are also contrary to the Helsinki Final Act, as well as international humanitarian and human rights law. “Russia’s attempts to legitimize the attempted annexation of Crimea are not, and will not be recognized,” the document notes.
“We also firmly condemn Russia’s continued destabilization of Ukraine, especially Russia’s actions in certain areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, disregarding the commitments it made under the Minsk agreements. We reiterate our support for the efforts of the Normandy format and our firm commitment to a peaceful resolution of the conflict in eastern Ukraine, in line with the Minsk agreements and with full respect of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Russia is a party to the conflict in eastern Ukraine, not a mediator,” the statement says.
The UN member states urged the Russian Federation to immediately end its occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, and fully implement the relevant UN General Assembly resolutions on the situation in Crimea. “We welcome in principle Ukraine’s initiative to establish an international Crimean Platform to consolidate the international community’s efforts on Crimea,” they summed up.
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