“For the eighth year, Ukraine has been deterring Russian aggression. We are recording the pulling of Russian troops and weapons to our borders and to the occupied territories of the east and Crimea.

Since the first days of the occupation of Crimea, the Kremlin has turned the Crimean peninsula into a military base to take control of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, carry out provocations, and threaten the entire Black Sea region, including Ukraine and our NATO allies. We are observing this threat to Ukraine and the whole of Europe grow day after day.

There is a phrase in the Ukrainian language – ‘unpunished evil grows’. This is exactly what happened to Nazi Germany almost 100 years ago, and today we are witnessing the same scenario with the Russian Federation. However, global aggression and blackmail should not characterize our time. The Crimea Platform is the first step in international diplomatic pressure. It will be followed by others.

We are ready for fight until complete deoccupation of the Crimean peninsula. Crimea will be liberated and criminals – punished. We will do everything possible and impossible,” Kyrylo Budanov said.

Since the onset of the occupation of the peninsula, Russia has been increasing its military contingent if Crimea almost every year, turning a former resort and prosperous location into a military fortress. It is clear that this was the main goal of occupation of Crimea because of its beneficial geopolitical location; the peninsula allows Russia to have significant advantages and the ability to influence the countries of the Black Sea region and ‘dictate rules’ in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. In addition, Moscow uses the peninsula as a base to ensure Russian military presence in Syria.

The real reasons of the occupation are already clear to the residents of the peninsula, too, who share their thoughts on social networks and grow nostalgic for the Ukrainian Crimea.

It will be recalled that to return the peninsula Ukraine has initiated the international platform – the Crimean Platform – which will begin its work in Kyiv on the eve of the 30th anniversary of Ukraine's Independence. The purpose of the platform is to discuss the ways to deoccupation of Crimea.

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