When we say that the aggressor must not receive any reward for the war, so that peace can truly last, everyone must understand – these are not just words. Unfortunately, the world already had the chance to verify this twelve years ago. Russia’s war against Ukraine began with the occupation of our Crimea, and the world effectively turned a blind eye to this. The leaders back then showed little interest in the protests and resistance in Crimea and in Ukraine’s overall sentiment. The world advised Ukraine to stay silent. That is exactly why Putin came to believe he could wage a much larger war and confront the West even more aggressively. Now, every year on February 26 – the Day of Resistance to the Occupation of Crimea – we remember this global lesson, honouring those who did not stay silent and did not falter in the face of Russian aggression, and we insist that holding the aggressor accountable for war is one of the strongest security guarantees – one of the strongest prerequisites for lasting peace. I thank everyone around the world who supports us in this, participates in the work of our Crimea Platform and other international formats that remind the world about Crimea and the meaning of its occupation by Russia. I thank everyone who helps Ukraine resist Russian repression in Crimea, assists us in returning people from captivity, and prevents the occupying regime from consolidating its power. Russian presence on our peninsula serves only war, and nothing else. There must be peace, and therefore Crimea is Ukraine, and the world must always recognize this fact. Qırım evine qaytmalıdır! Glory to Ukraine!(Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський)