Dzheppar: Russia using international platforms to legitimize occupation of Crimea

"Ukraine has every reason to believe that today there is solidarity with its integrity. There is a resolution that was voted on within the UN. More than 100 countries joined the resolution, voted for it and clearly stated: ‘We do not recognize the occupation of Crimea, we recognize the territorial integrity of Ukraine, and Crimea is Ukraine.’ It is an important nuance that we cannot ignore," First Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Emine Dzheppar said in an interview with 50% Ukrainian media outlet when asked to assess the awareness of the international community about Crimea.

Russia's war against Ukraine is not just a hybrid, but a multidimensional one, Dzheppar noted.

"It did not end with the occupation, it is still ongoing. Russians continue to actively legitimize this occupation. They use the international platform to promote their messages. And the key message is defaming Ukraine, presenting Ukraine as an under-state, a state that is incapable of real reforms, an undemocratic country. Our task on various international platforms is to defend ourselves, using various means: from cultural diplomacy to the language of démarche and statements of disagreement," the first deputy minister stressed.

Russia's aggression against Ukraine began on February 20, 2014 with a military operation of the Russian armed forces to seize a part of the territory of Ukraine - the Crimean peninsula. Subsequently, Russian regular troops and Russian-led militants occupied parts of Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

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