23 September 2026

President of the Czech Republic Petr Pavel took part in the Sixth Summit of the International Crimea Platform and addressed its participants

“The International Crimea Platform is not about history. It’s about shaping the future — a future in which occupation is not accepted, aggression is not rewarded, and international law remains meaningful.”

President of the Czech Republic Petr Pavel said that Crimea is not only a matter of Ukraine’s sovereignty, but also a test of whether the international community is prepared to uphold the principles underpinning international peace and security.

He stressed that Russia’s occupation of Crimea remains a violation of the United Nations Charter.

and the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity. He noted that the road to full-scale war began in Crimea in 2014 and said that any discussion of a just and lasting peace must recognize this fact.

Petr Pavel pointed to the suppression of Ukrainian identity, the indoctrination and militarization of children, arbitrary detention, torture, persecution of journalists and forced conscription into the Russian army. He also emphasized the need to protect the rights, culture, language, religious life and representative institutions of the Crimean Tatars, the Indigenous People of Ukraine.

 “Crimea is Ukraine. The Czech Republic will continue to stand with Ukraine, with the Crimean people, and all those who believe that peace can only be sustainable when founded on justice, sovereignty, and respect for international law,” Pavel said.

He added that respect for international law requires accountability and that those responsible for aggression and other serious violations of international law must be held accountable and victims must receive justice.