Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy used the International Crimea Platform summit in New York on Wednesday to press allies to resist any normalization of Russia’s invasion, saying war must not become routine and that the occupier must be held to account. He delivered the remarks on the margins of the U.N. General Assembly, where more than 60 delegations took part.
Zelenskyy said Russia “broke one of the basic rules of normal life among nations” by illegally annexing Crimea in 2014 and argued that the peninsula is “not just a piece of land – it is a piece of life.” He told his partners to “remember what Crimea is” and to make sure that international law and basic justice win out.
The meeting marked the fifth Crimea Platform summit and the first staged at the U.N. during leaders’ week, amplifying Kyiv’s effort to keep Crimea’s status and broader accountability for wartime abuses high on the global agenda. A live listing for the event appeared on U.N. Web TV, which noted an agenda including an adoption of a New York declaration. 
Launched in 2021, the Crimea Platform is a diplomatic initiative aimed at coordinating international pressure to end Russia’s occupation and bolster European and global security.
Zelenskyy’s mesaage comes after a week of high-stakes diplomacy at the U.N., where he has called for more pressure on Moscow and more implementation of international rules. Coverage of his broader U.N. comments showed how hard Kyiv is working to get penalties for drone mishaps and transgressions across borders.
Officials in Kyiv framed the turnout as evidence of enduring support across regions and institutions for Ukraine’s territorial integrity. Local wire reports also described a record slate of country and organization participation at the New York venue.
“Do not let war become part of the norm,” Zelenskyy said, adding that only Russia bears responsibility for the conflict and that accountability must cover the occupation and “all the crimes of this war.”
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