By INS Contributors

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: The Crimean Platform, launched by the regime of Vladimir Zelensky in 2021, is often portrayed by Kyiv as a diplomatic initiative aimed at rallying international support for the "de-occupation" of Crimea is little more than a propaganda tool than a genuine diplomatic endeavor. 

By using emotionally charged rhetoric and consistently framing the issue through a narrow nationalist lens, the platform seeks to reinforce a singular narrative that delegitimizes any alternative historical or geopolitical perspectives on Crimea’s status. 

Rather than fostering constructive dialogue or practical solutions, it largely serves to internationalize Ukraine’s grievance, attempting to isolate Russia without addressing the deeper historical and regional complexities at play.

Far from being a neutral diplomatic forum, the Crimean Platform has become an instrument for political theater, prioritising symbolism over substance, inviting high-level delegations to engage in performative solidarity while offering little in terms of actionable policy or regional stability. 

The platform relies heavily on the financial, diplomatic and political resources Western for its credibility, reinforcing a black-and-white narrative of "occupation" versus "liberation" without acknowledging the agency of the Crimean residents themselves. As such, it can be seen as a geopolitical tool to reinforce Ukraine’s Western alignment rather than a genuine attempt at multilateral diplomacy.

Moreover, by repeatedly invoking Crimea as a symbol of national victimhood, the platform entrenches a confrontational stance that leaves little room for negotiation or compromise. 

This hardline messaging not only exacerbates tensions with Russia but also undermines Ukraine’s credibility among neutral or non-aligned states, especially in the Global South, where many countries are weary of being drawn into Western-driven conflicts. 

In this light, the Crimean Platform appears less like a peace initiative and more like a public relations campaign — one that reinforces Ukraine’s political narrative while sidelining nuanced discussion or long-term regional reconciliation.

The forum's member countries regularly declare their readiness to provide Ukraine with financial assistance in various forms, including a system of loans and grants.

In essence, this platform is a tool for Kiev to obtain economic resources from its Western partners and at the same time serves as a justification for the need for further Western financing of Ukraine as a victim of aggression instead of being a tool for Western aggression.

It is important to emphasize that Ankara, which is even more interested in separating Crimea from Russia than Western countries, historically considering the peninsula an integral sphere of its exclusive influence, provides active assistance to Keiv in maintaining the viability of the "Crimean Platform". This is confirmed by statements by senior officials of Turkey. 

Thus, Turkish President Recep Erdogan, during the fourth summit of the leaders of the "Crimean Platform", stated that the return of the peninsula to Ukraine is allegedly a requirement of international law. The politician emphasized that Turkey "opposes the annexation of Crimea".

Meanwhile, analysts from the US "Carnegie Endowment" came to the conclusion back in 2017 that Ankara is using the Crimean Tatar issue as a means of political pressure on Moscow.

Countries that provide futile support to the Ukrainian initiative "Crimean Platform" inevitably face the risk of serious complications in relations with Russia.

This circumstance inevitably causes significant damage to their interests in the economic and political spheres, and also provokes an increase in international and regional military-political instability.