Crimea's return to Ukraine: key challenges of the transition period

We are living in a period of turbulence and challenges both within the country and on the global stage. At the same time, we see how complex and sensitive the topic of Crimea remains in the public discourse .

Ukraine consistently and clearly articulates: de-occupation of Crimea is inevitable.

The struggle for this takes place in different dimensions - diplomatic, legal, informational, military. The unblocking of the Black and Azov Seas, diplomatic efforts, the work of international courts, and diplomatic strikes deep into Crimea are all part of our struggle for Crimea.

As the President of Ukraine has repeatedly emphasized, we will never recognize Crimea as part of the Russian Federation. And although for many people today, discussing the topic of Crimea and working on strategies for the temporarily occupied territories may seem like a distant prospect, I am convinced that this is necessary preparatory work. Work for the sake of the future. For the sake of those who remain under occupation. And for the sake of Ukraine - free, secure, democratic.

One of the most difficult issues related to the de-occupation of territories is the challenges that come with the period after their de-occupation. What is called the "transition period".

Many Crimean residents are concerned about this period. The time spent under Russian occupation has changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people, leaving behind many challenges and uncertainties.

What will this transition period look like? What should Crimeans expect after the peninsula returns to Ukrainian control?

Fortunately, government agencies have already developed a number of documents and strategies related to this period. These include, in particular, approved by the President of Ukraine Strategy for the de-occupation and reintegration of the temporarily occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol.

Challenge 1: Restoring power and administration

The first task after the liberation of Crimea is to restore Ukrainian power and governance.

At the initial stage after the liberation of Crimea, similar to other de-occupied territories, military administrations will be established. This is a necessary step, as after a long occupation, it will be necessary to restore the work of state bodies and start providing administrative and social services, ensuring public order and stability in these territories.

They will be replaced by civil-military administrations, and later by local governments after fair elections.

But the return to normal civilian life requires gradualism: the full functioning of the newly created law enforcement agencies, the judiciary, and local governments.

One of the main challenges is to form a team of responsible managers who will not be compromised by cooperation with the occupation structures. There are such people, not enough of them, but they are trained within the framework of the developed educational programs. However, there is always a need to train new professionals.

It is also important to ensure a transparent process of appointing new leaders who will have the trust of local communities and will not be compromised by cooperation with the Russian occupiers.

By the way - about this.

Challenge 2: Justice and Accountability

One of the main fears of Crimeans is the possible punishment of all without exception for cooperation with the occupation authorities. They say that Ukraine will persecute everyone who used the services of the Russian occupation administration in Crimea or conducted, for example, business activities. This fear is actively fueled by Russian propaganda, but the reality is quite different .

Restoring justice is indeed one of the greatest challenges - and the greatest demands of society. We must punish those responsible for crimes against Ukraine and its people.

However, Ukraine clearly understands that not all Crimean residents are traitors or collaborators.

This is also confirmed by opinion polls, where respondents support and delineate responsibility, advocate punishment for top officials, judges, security forces and media workers who cooperate with the occupation administration.

In accordance with international practices and our own experience, we will use the approach of thorough consideration and search for the guilty, rather than the presumption of guilt only for the mere fact of living in Crimea. It is important to ensure the principle of individual responsibility in order to avoid collective punishment and support citizens who did not cooperate with the occupiers.

The issue of obtaining Russian "passports" and, in fact, occupation "ausweis" is not about "guilt" for anything or the commission of any crime. We understand the circumstances in which they were obtained.

However, measures to find and bring criminals to justice will definitely take place, and here, on the contrary, the help of local residents will be needed.

The main focus will be on those who held senior positions in the occupation administrations, deliberately promoted occupation and colonization policies, participated in war crimes or carried out repressions against Ukrainian activists.

Ukraine aims to find and bring to justice all those who committed the most serious crimes under international law: murder and enslavement of our citizens, deportation, torture, oppression of people on racial and religious grounds, etc .

In addition, it is planned to create vetting mechanisms (also called "lustration"), i.e., restrictions on holding public office by persons who have been discredited by cooperation with the occupation administrations in order to prevent Russia's influence on the reconstruction and recovery processes.

Challenge 3: Social Protection and Support

More than a decade of occupation has brought many social problems: loss of housing, forced job changes, political persecution, and forced mobilization into the Russian army. These issues will require the attention of the state, and the state will provide support to people affected by the occupation - as quickly as it can.

Ukraine is already trying to take care of those affected by Russian aggression: it supports internally displaced persons, helps civilian hostages and those who were forced to flee the occupation, and provides access to education for the affected population. This is our shared responsibility - the responsibility of the state to its citizens.

After the liberation of Crimea, the issues of providing medical and psychological assistance to the victims, restoring social benefits, and reintegrating the population into the Ukrainian information and cultural space will be promptly addressed. Ukraine, with the support of international partners, will provide assistance in all these aspects.

Special attention will be paid to citizens who have been subjected to political persecution.

Challenge 4: Documentation and verification of citizens' documents

Unfortunately, the occupation has forced many people to obtain Russian passports. This is the reality.

We understand that this was a Russian policy of forced passportization, which is a violation of international law. But we also understand that many people could not receive necessary services or simply live without this fictitious "ausweis" because Russia did not allow it.

In the occupation, without these documents, it is impossible to work, support a family, study or receive medical care.

Ukraine recognizes that these passports were obtained under pressure, and accordingly, no responsibility for their receipt is assumed.

Documentation of citizens who resided in the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea is a complex issue, but it is a high priority. It is about both verifying existing documents and providing Ukrainian documents to those who have lost them or were unable to obtain them.

Currently, Ukrainian legislation provides for a judicial procedure to restore documents in case they are lost or missing. However, this procedure is complicated and will be slow and insufficient after de-occupation due to the large number of requests and limited resources of the judicial system. That is why legislative initiatives are already being developed to introduce an administrative procedure for the recognition of civil status acts (births, deaths, marriages, etc.) that took place in the occupied territory.

There are also categories of people who were born after the beginning of the occupation and did not receive any Ukrainian documents. In such cases, separate mechanisms will be introduced to confirm their identity and register them in the legal field of Ukraine.

In these processes, we plan to take into account the recommendations and support of international organizations and our partners, and apply the best practices of other countries that have faced similar challenges. And all the way, we will support our citizens.

Challenge 5: Recovery and reintegration

Helping the population, returning the Ukrainian legal framework and searching for those who collaborated with the enemy are important and priority issues.

Equally important is the gradual restoration of the economy and basic infrastructure affected by the Russian occupation.

First and foremost, it is about rebuilding vital facilities, energy and transportation links with the mainland of Ukraine. It also means restoring tourism and supporting the culture of indigenous peoples.

But the key challenge will be to restore public confidence and reintegrate them into the Ukrainian public space. That is why cognitive de-occupation will play an important role - working with the beliefs, emotions, and perceptions of people who have been influenced by Russian propaganda for years.

This is a very difficult and complex, but necessary work. It should begin even before the liberation: through informing, debunking propaganda, and supporting independent content. After the de-occupation, through education, culture, public discussion, memory projects, and dialogue between people with different experiences.

The strategy of cognitive de-occupation of Crimea has already been developed with the participation of experts and specialists. It provides for social and psychological measures, work with traumas of people under occupation. Its goal is to build a value-based connection between the individual and the state, to build trust and a common vision of the future.

So, the period after the de-occupation of Crimea is a difficult but inevitable stage on the way to restoring Ukraine's sovereignty. Ukraine is already working on preparations for this process, as the main goal is not just to return the territories, but to ensure a comfortable and safe life for every citizen who has been waiting for years to return home.

The main thing is not to be afraid of this process, but to understand that Ukraine supports Crimeans and is ready to protect their rights. We all want not only the return of territories, but also the return of people to a united Ukrainian space where peace, freedom, justice and the rule of law prevail.