Crimea’s Plea for Liberation: Hungary and Serbia to Act for a Free Crimea
As Serbia and Hungary strive for closer relations with Ukraine, Turkey proves its diplomatic prowess by uniting different countries under a single platform.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy gives a speech as he attends the 3rd Crimea Platform summit in Kyiv, Ukraine on August 23, 2023. Photo by Anadolu Images.
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n Europe, Hungary and Serbia have always been lukewarm towards Russia. The two countries’ foreign and domestic policies have led them to have an ambiguous relationship with Moscow. Ukraine, however, has managed to rally them around a single goal. This maneuver has to do with Ukraine’s historical and legitimate claims that Crimea, a melting pot of different ethnicities and religions, be part of its nation again.
The third summit of the Crimea Platform, which took place on August 23 in Kyiv, was triggered by Russia’s decision to withdraw from the Black Sea Grain Initiative. The year 2023 has been important for grain importer countries in Europe, namely Serbia and Hungary, which used to import grain from the Black Sea ports of Ukraine. The ongoing war and Russia’s withdrawal from the grain agreement are forcing some actors to change their allegiances.
Being unable to export grain, Ukraine founded the Crimea Platform in August 2021 as a plea for Crimea’s liberation. Russian occupation of Crimea grants Russia strategic access to the Black Sea; whenever Ukrainian cargo ships try to transport grain, they become the targets of Russian warships. If Ukraine can liberate Crimea from invading Russian forces, the grain market would thrive once more.
Crimea’s importance for Serbia and Hungary
Serbia and Hungary’s declaration of support for Ukraine goes beyond grain. Hungarian President Katalin Novák argued that the war can only end by the liberation of Crimea. Serbian President Alexandar Vučić also stated that Crimea should be liberated as it is a part of Ukraine’s national territories.
The support from Serbia and Hungary works against Russia’s aims in the war. Both Serbia and Hungary would suffer from a Russian Crimea. First, Serbia wants to keep Kosovo as an unrecognized entity. While the world is divided on the issue, Ukraine has a clear position of not recognizing Kosovo. So, in turn, Serbia does not recognize Crimea as Russian. This transactional relation keeps both sides happy on geopolitical issues.
Hungarians, too, have a soft spot for Crimea. Since 2014, Hungary has been one of the countries that have continuously protested the illegal annexation. President Novák pushed Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to reset relations with Ukraine and build a common stance against illegal invasions. Moreover, Novák held talks with the Crimean Tatar leader Abdülcemil Kırımoğlu. Both leaders value the historic Tatar-Hungarian connection with regard to the Turan and Turkic history.
Crimea to be populated by its natives
The Crimea Platform is not exclusively about grain though. Ukrainian officials have effectively employed cultural and ethnic values for the project by highlighting the ethnic and religious richness of Crimea. Ukrainian officials present Crimea’s native inhabitants as Muslim Crimean Tatars, Jewish Crimean Karaites or Krymkarayrla, and Orthodox Ukrainians. Meanwhile, Russia has been using domestic policies to populate Crimea with Russians.
Thus, Ukraine uses the Crimean Platform as a tool to stop Russia’s repopulation attempts. Russia has already employed repopulation attempts in order for Eastern Ukrainian territories to secede from Ukraine, resulting in numerous referendums for secession. Ukraine wants to put an end to such policies by promoting the natives of the region.
The public opinion of the local inhabitants of Crimea is also important. The political bodies of Crimean Tatars are exiled from the region, and Russia refuses to recognize the legitimacy of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tartar People, the chief Crimean political body. Moreover, the Mejlis has been defined as a terrorist organization in Russia because of its desire to reunite with Ukraine. As a result, Crimean Tatars and other inhabitants of Crimea shun Russia’s expansionary policies in the region.
Turkey’s efforts in Crimea and regarding grain
The platform on Crimea managed to increase European support for Ukraine. However, there is one more actor who has elicited support for Ukrainians from the beginning of the war. At the Crimean Platform, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan sent a video message to all participants. He reiterated the Turkish of not recognizing the Russian annexation of Crimea. He also vowed to keep the Black Sea Grain Initiative on its track.
Two days after the Crimea Platform, the Turkish minister of foreign affairs, Hakan Fidan visited Kyiv to meet Zelenskyy. There, he assured Zelenskyy on re-instating the Grain Deal. Afterwards, President Erdoğan also visited Russia to negotiate a new grain deal. Erdoğan even managed to use the G20 as a venue for discussing the grain deal. Thus, Turkey managed to stand out as a country that can reach numerous actors to resolve humanitarian problems.
Turkish participation in the affairs of the Black Sea and in negotiations for food security and regional peace has increased Turkey’s international credibility. In fact, Serbia and Hungary’s participation in the Crimea Platform can be associated with Turkey’s proximity to the aforementioned countries. As Serbia and Hungary strive for closer relations with Ukraine, Turkey proves its diplomatic prowess by uniting different countries under a single platform.
