“Supporting the Crimea Platform: It’s Time to Remind that Crimea is Ukraine” is a program implemented by East Europe Foundation with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The program’s objective is to develop effective approaches to reintegrating Crimea back to Ukraine and improve the operational capacity of the Office of Crimea Platform.

The Crimea Platform is a consultation and coordination format initiated by Ukraine in 2021 to increase the effectiveness of the international response to the long-term Russian occupation of Crimea, increase international pressure on Russia to de-occupy the peninsula and fully restore Ukraine’s sovereignty.

Since establishing the Crimea Platform, East Europe Foundation has been a reliable partner. In the summer of 2021, before the Crimea Platform’s First Summit, East Europe Foundation and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine signed a Memorandum of Understanding. In the fall of 2021, the Foundation signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with the Representation of Ukraine’s President in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, which simultaneously acts as the national Office of the Crimea Platform, and is aimed at achieving the goals of the Crimea Platform participants.

Crimea Platform objectives are:

• Strengthening advocacy and communications of the Office of Crimea Platform. Effective interaction with international stakeholders will better present Ukraine’s position; and,
• Strengthening the institutional capacity of the Crimea Platform to support the final reintegration of Crimea back into Ukraine. The Office of Crimea Platform prepares draft laws and develops strategies and analytical documents.

Within the framework of the program, advocacy events are planned, including international visits and expert political discussions. The Crimea Platform website and its social media pages will be updated.

The Program will ensure institutional development of the Office of Crimea Platform, involving the best Ukrainian and international experts.

East Europe Foundation plans to develop an online course on how the interaction between civil society and government authorities should be built so that expert research is used in formulating public policy.

A short advocacy film about the importance of the de-occupation of Crimea will also be prepared as part of the program.

The Program will be implemented from October 2022 to March 2023 and is a logical continuation of the previous initiative which was administered from December 2021 to February 2022.