The Office of the Crimea Platform joined the Hudson Institute event to discuss the 10th anniversary of the occupation of Crimea

Yesterday the Hudson Institute in Washington, DC hosted a conference dedicated to the consequences of the 10-years-long occupation of Crimea and two years of the Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine. The Hudson Institute is one of the oldest and most influential American think tanks specializing in forecasting global changes and strategic research in international relations. The event discussed the significance and consequences of the Russian-Ukrainian war for the world, as well as outlined forecasts and prospects for further support of Ukraine by the United States as well as European countries.  

Maria Tomak, Head of the Crimea Platform Department at the Mission of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea/Office of the Crimea Platform joined the panel discussion titled “The Tenth Anniversary of the Illegal Annexation of Crimea“. Luke Coffey, Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute, Mark Newton, Minister Counselor Defense at the British Embassy in Washington, DC were also among panelists. The discussion was moderated by Jeremy Hunt, Media Fellow at the Hudson Institute. Ambassador of Ukraine to the U.S. Oksana Markarova delivered opening remarks.

“The main factor that inspires the resistance of our citizens in the occupied Crimea is Ukraine’s success in the Black Sea, which is ensured by the Armed Forces of Ukraine with the military assistance of our Western partners,” said Maria Tomak, speaking about the situation in the occupied peninsula and emphasizing nearly seven hundred cases of solidarity actions with mainland Ukraine that the Mission has documented over the past two years.

Maria Tomak emphasized, in particular, the case against Crimean Tatar human rights activist Lutfiye Zudiyeva, who was detained last week by the occupation forces after publishing the article about life under occupation in the US magazine Newsweek. She also mentioned other victims of political persecution, 208 political prisoners, 125 of whom are representatives of the indigenous Crimean Tatar people. “Ukraine cannot abandon these people and pretend that the occupation of Crimea is a matter of just territory. It is a matter of people whom we cannot leave to the mercy of the Russian dictator,” said Maria Tomak. 

The Head of the Crimea Platform Department also extended gratitude to the Hudson Institute for its systematic support of Ukraine and the Embassy of Ukraine in the United States for its important work to protect Ukraine’s interests and efforts at the diplomatic level to ensure the victory of our country.

Check the videorecording of the event