Israel supported Ukraine at the Crimean Platform summit: Edelstein’s words and the position of the participants on Russian aggression

On October 24, 2024, the third parliamentary summit “Crimean Platform” was held in Riga, bringing together more than 70 delegations from 55 countries and international organizations. The main topic of the summit was the consolidation of international efforts against the Russian occupation of Crimea and the discussion of ways to solve problems of human rights violations in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.

Among the participants was Israeli representative Yuli EdelsteinChairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, who expressed strong support for Ukraine.

As the Israeli summit participant, Mr. Yuli Edelstein, noted in his video message, writes Embassy of Ukraine in Israel:

“Only by uniting will we defeat the enemy. We must unite, evil must be punished, in the end good always wins. Both our countries continue to lose the best sons and daughters of our peoples, but ultimately we have a bright future ahead of us, and we are moving towards it.”

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry highly appreciated the participation of the Israeli delegation:

“We highly appreciate Israel's participation in the summit, since Ukraine and Israel are fighting the same enemy – the Iran-Russia axis of evil.

Indeed, only by uniting our forces will we become stronger to resist international terror” – Embassy of Ukraine in Israel.

Key statements from summit participants

Participants in the “Crimean Platform” condemned Russia’s violations and demanded an immediate cessation of hostilities in Ukrainian territories. The main topics of the summit included:

• Condemnation of Russian strikes against Ukraine, including missile and drone attacks.
• Countering political persecution, abductions and abuse of journalists, human rights defenders and local residents.
• Support for the Crimean Tatars, against whom Russia is pursuing repressive policies.

A statement from Israel's Yuli Edelstein also emphasized the importance of unification:

“Only by uniting our forces can we cope with international terrorism… our countries continue to lose their best sons and daughters, but we have a bright future ahead of us.”

Support from international organizations and participating countries

Among the more than 70 delegations supporting Ukraine were representatives of NATO, the European Union, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, as well as delegations from Europe, America, Asia and Africa.

This year's participation The summit was attended by representatives of a wide range of countriesvarious regions and international organizations. Among them were representatives of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, as well as delegations from Latvia, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Germany, Poland, Estonia, France, Portugal, Canada, Lithuania, Austria, Finland, New Zealand, Cyprus, North Macedonia, Australia, Albania, Malta, Switzerland, Spain, Liechtenstein, Bulgaria, Tonga, Serbia, Israel, Norway, United Kingdom, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, Montenegro, Belgium, Sweden, Turkey, Slovakia, Romania, Italy, Slovenia, Ghana, Argentina, Netherlands, Ireland , Luxembourg, Costa Rica, Moldova, Armenia, Iceland, Liberia, Chile, Malaysia, Guatemala, Comoros, USA, Hungary and Georgia, as well as other countries.

Among the international organizations present were representatives of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, the Council of Europe, the European Union, ASEAN, the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the OSCE.

Statements were made at the summit focusing on Russia's illegal actions and the need to protect human rights.

Important Quotes and Key Points

At the summit, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky spoke out condemning Russia’s actions, emphasizing that the annexation of Crimea had not become an international norm:

“Russia has tried to make the seizure of the territories of other countries part of international policy, but this is an attack on international law that will never be accepted.”

The head of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, Refat Chubarov, expressed gratitude to the international community for their support and emphasized that Crimea will remain the homeland of the Crimean Tatars, despite Russian aggression:

“We are not ready to pay for peace at any cost, we do not trade our territories… Russia has turned Crimea into a military springboard for further aggression.”

Support for Israel and reaction to Russian aggression

The Israeli side expressed solidarity with Ukraine in its struggle for sovereignty and the fight against terrorism, noting that their peoples are united by a common struggle. Edelstein emphasized that an alliance with Ukraine is not only a diplomatic step, but also a path to common peace and security in the region.

In a joint declaration, the participants of the third parliamentary summit stated:

1. Support for the territorial integrity of Ukraine — participating countries agreed to increase diplomatic and military assistance.
2. Assistance in the implementation of Zelensky’s “peace formula” — international assistance in finding ways to end hostilities.
3. War crimes investigation — commitments to support investigations and prosecutions of crimes committed by the Russian military.

Conclusion and future plans

According to “NAnews”the summit in Riga was an important step in strengthening international support for Ukraine. In the face of growing threats from Russia and Iran, representatives of countries including Israel, NATO and the EU have shown a willingness to strengthen sanctions, provide security and support Ukraine on the path to restoring sovereignty.

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