‘Independence means sovereignty’ – Charles Michel at Crimea Platform inauguration

Today, on 24 August, Ukraine celebrates the 30th anniversary of state independence. On the eve of the anniversary, Ukraine officially launched the Crimea Platform at an international summit in Kyiv.

Speaking at the inaugural session of the International Crimea Platform Summit, President of the European Council Charles Michel said that the EU will continue staunchly to enforce the EU’s non-recognition policy.

“Independence means sovereignty; and it means territorial integrity within internationally recognised borders. I am here to reaffirm the EU’s unwavering stance: we do not and will not recognise the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol by Russia,” Michel said. “We will stand tall against any violations of international law”.

President Michel also reminded that the EU has put in place measures to mitigate the consequences of the annexation for Ukraine, with a focus on the Ukrainian regions adjacent to Crimea: “They are part of our unprecedented support to Ukraine across the board and in the context of our ambitious Association Agreement: the EU has dedicated more than 16 billion euros to your country since 2014.”

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