“Crimea platform” .. This is how Ukraine is trying to change the reality imposed by Russia 7 years ago

Kiev

- Ukraine is on the cusp of the greatest event in its history - according to the description of a number of its officials - which is the holding of the international "Crimea Platform" conference today, August 23, at the initiative of President Volodymyr Zelensky in September last year.

The conference coincides with the 30th anniversary of Ukraine's independence on August 24, and aims - in the short term - according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the following:

Activating the issue of Russia's "occupation" of the Crimea to be always on the international agenda.

Responding to the security challenges associated with this “occupation” and increasing international pressure on Russia.

Urging countries not to recognize the annexation of Crimea to Russia.

Preventing further "human rights violations" in Crimea.

Compensation for the Crimean Tatars for the damage they suffered, due to their rejection of the occupation.

Discussion of the "militarization of Crimea" and the regions of the Azov and Black Seas by Russia.

In the long term, he pursues his main goal of ending the occupation of the peninsula and returning it to Ukraine.

Russian forces in Crimea (Reuters)

error correction

Ukraine believes that the platform will correct a 7-year mistake, due to the absence of any mechanism on the issue of Crimea, which Russia annexed to its territory in 2014 after a controversial popular referendum that was not recognized by most countries of the world.

Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba considers that the platform will correct this error, and that the circle of countries participating in the platform will expand in the future.

Retreat positions

But many believe that one of the most important reasons that push Ukraine to organize such an event is the decline in the positions of a number of countries on the issue of Crimea, after it was the basis for broad political and economic sanctions imposed on Russia.

Among the biggest examples of this decline, they refer to the positions of Germany and France, which are considered two main countries in the European Union, and the so-called "Normandy Quartet" of the settlement in eastern Ukraine.

In a remarkable statement a few weeks ago, the advisor in the Ukrainian presidential office, Oleksiy Aristovich, said that "Germany abandoned Ukraine in favor of Russia, after it withstood it for seven years."

He explained that "Western countries in general are concerned about the growing influence of China, and therefore they are ready to negotiate with Russia." According to analysts, there are several factors for this decline in attitudes, which are summarized as follows:

• The desire to improve relations with Russia in general, and to lift sanctions that did not deter Moscow from its policies towards Ukraine and harmed the economies of many European countries, led by Germany and France.

• The Western camp sought to prevent any possible military alliance of China with Russia.

• Germany's insistence on launching the "Nord Stream 2" gas project with Russia, and the waning of American toughness towards the project.

Sharing level

These and other factors may explain the controversy over the size and level of participation in the "Crimea platform" that the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has identified - so far - at 44 parties, including the heads of 9 countries: Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Moldova, Slovenia and Finland.

According to the ministry, among the participants are: the President of the European Council, the prime ministers of Romania, Georgia, Croatia and Sweden, the foreign ministers of Turkey, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Austria, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Ireland, Denmark, Bulgaria, Montenegro, Norway and North Macedonia, the defense ministers of the United Kingdom and Portugal, as well as the personal envoy of the US President .

"The quantitative indicator is encouraging, but what is much more important is not the list of countries but the level at which they will be represented," says writer and political analyst Dmytro Voronkov.

And he explained - in an interview with Al-Jazeera Net - that "until recently, major countries did not specify the level of their representatives, such as Turkey, Germany, France and the United States, and this indicates that the issue has accurate accounts, and explains the reluctance of many countries of the world to participate, to be limited in the end to supportive parties in the first place." Most of them are within the framework of the European Union, and there is nothing new about them,” according to his opinion.

"The countries that hastened to respond to Ukraine's call are those that feel Russia's danger to it, and the possibility of a repetition of the Ukrainian crisis scenario on its territory, such as the Baltic states, Poland, Georgia and Moldova," he said.

Lavrov considered that the West's position on Crimea is shameful and shameful (Reuters)

Russian pressure

Over the past weeks, Ukrainian officials have repeated that "Russia is blackmailing and threatening countries to dissuade them from participating in the Crimean platform."

Ukrainian presidential spokesman Serhiy Nikforov said, "Any country that confirms its 100% participation is immediately exposed to pressure, so some keep the participation secret and others announce it boldly."

Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba considered that "in light of these situations, the participation of countries in the Crimean platform is a very simple test of who stands with the issue of occupied Crimea and Ukraine and international law, or with Russia and Russian aggression."

witch gathering

Although Russia has tightened its control over Crimea and considers talking about it a red line that cannot be approached, the platform seems to irritate it.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said that "Russia sees the strategy of ending the occupation of Crimea announced by Kiev as an unacceptable threat, and the participation of any country in the Crimean Platform's activities is an infringement on the territorial integrity of Russia."

Minister Sergei Lavrov recently described the platform as a "gathering of witches", using the ironic Russian term "shabbash", which refers to the nocturnal celebration meetings of witches or wizards.

Lavrov considered that "the West's position on Crimea is shameful, shameful and offends the island, after the peninsula's residents have expressed their will."

Editing strategy

Between Ukrainian efforts despite difficulties, and Russian anger despite tight control, a question arises about the ability of the "Crimea platform" to change a fait accompli that Russia imposed on the peninsula years ago.

Many fear that the platform's calls and cries will not be echoed, given that the Crimean issue is primarily Russian-Ukrainian, including the writer and political analyst Dmytro Voronkov, who said: "We must admit that economic interests play the largest role in our world, and that Russia imposed on Ukraine and the West the policy of the matter. located in the Crimea and the Black Sea.

He added, "The occupation of Crimea is a real threat to the security of Ukraine and Europe, but this threat is faced by strengthening NATO's presence in the Black Sea, as we see through the many joint exercises. As for the liberation of Crimea, it will remain in Ukraine's attention before any other party."

On the other hand, Ihor Kohut, director of the Center for Democratic Initiatives, told Al Jazeera Net, "The platform is the beginning of a Ukrainian strategy and an international charter to end the occupation of Crimea, and I liken it to the policy of the West that led to the collapse of the Soviet Union."

Kohut believes that "Russia's weak point is its isolation and continued pressure on its economy, and this requires effort and a long breath, forcing Moscow to retreat, no matter how long it takes," he said.