More needs to be done to hold Russia accountable for its illegal occupation of Crimea, so the United States strongly supports the Crimean Platform and will work closely with the Ukrainian government to support it, U.S. Charge d'Affaires in Ukraine Kristina Kvien has said.

Kvien said at the Inaugural Forum of the Expert Network of the Crimean Platform held in Kyiv on Friday, that unfortunately, Russia's aggression against Ukraine extends beyond Crimea. As we all know, in Donbas, Russian-led troops continue to kill Ukrainians on their own territory, and Russia seeks to use its illegal occupation of Crimea to justify restricting access to the Black and Azov Seas. But we know more needs to be done to hold Russia accountable, and therefore the United States strongly supports the Crimean Platform, and will work closely with the Ukrainian government to support it.

She stressed that the United States regards Russia's illegal occupation of Crimea as a crime that cannot be ignored and cannot be forgotten.

Kvien said that widespread repression and human rights violations in Crimea must continue to be exposed and actively addressed, and those who committed these crimes must be held accountable. She assured that the United States will continue to talk about Russia's violations in Crimea.

Kvien said that they will continue to use the Ukraine-related sanctions they have imposed in the past against perpetrators of human rights violations in Crimea. And they will continue to advocate for the release of Crimean political prisoners. They will continue to call for justice for victims of forced disappearance and will report on violations against the Crimean Tatar community, whenever and wherever they hear about them.