On 23 September, on the margins of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, the Sixth Summit of the International Crimea Platform was held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, with the participation of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The Summit was attended by representatives of more than 60 states and international organizations, including heads of state and government, heads of international organizations, foreign ministers and other senior officials of the participating states of the International Crimea Platform.
In 2026, Liechtenstein was represented at the Sixth Summit of the International Crimea Platform at a high level by Hereditary Prince Alois, who delivered a statement reaffirming Liechtenstein’s position of non-recognition of the illegal annexation of Crimea and other Ukrainian territories.
This year’s Summit, which was held at the United Nations Headquarters for the second time, reaffirmed the international community’s continued attention to the issue of the temporary occupation of Crimea and other temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, as well as the shared commitment to continuing efforts to restore Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
During the Summit, participants discussed the security implications of Russia’s occupation and militarization of Crimea, as well as Russia’s systematic violations of human rights and international humanitarian law on the temporarily occupied peninsula.
In particular, discussions focused on political persecution and the unlawful detention of Ukrainian citizens, repression against the Crimean Tatar people, restrictions on freedom of expression and religion, as well as the destruction and appropriation of Ukrainian cultural heritage.
Particular attention was paid to the situation of the Crimean Tatar people as an indigenous people of Ukraine and to the need to protect their rights in accordance with international law.
In his address to the Summit, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized the importance of ensuring safe navigation and food security in the Black Sea.
“Ukraine is ready to do its part to ensure calm and safe navigation and food security in the Black Sea — if Russia is also ready to take real steps towards de-escalation,” he stressed.
Andrii Sybiha emphasized that Russia’s occupation and militarization of Crimea pose a direct threat to the security of the Black Sea region.
“Today, the International Crimea Platform is about security, humanity and dignity. Russia uses occupied Crimea as a base for attacks against Ukraine, and its continued militarization poses a threat to the entire Black Sea region,” the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine stressed.
Following the Summit, participants reaffirmed their commitment to the principles of the UN Charter, including the principles of sovereign equality of states, territorial integrity and respect for internationally recognized borders.
Participants emphasized that no illegal actions by the Russian Federation in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine can alter their international legal status. Crimea and other temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine remain an integral part of Ukraine.
The Sixth Summit of the International Crimea Platform adopted a Final Document reaffirming international solidarity with Ukraine and the commitment to continue joint efforts to restore its territorial integrity in accordance with the UN Charter and international law.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine called on partners to move from political statements to concrete practical steps in support of Ukraine and the restoration of its territorial integrity.
“The work of the International Crimea Platform must go beyond political statements once a year. There are practical steps that we can take together every day,” Andrii Sybiha noted.
The International Crimea Platform remains an important component of international efforts aimed at restoring respect for international law, justice and security in Europe and the Black Sea region.
Following the Sixth Summit of the International Crimea Platform, participants adopted a joint statement.