Polish President Andrzej Duda has declared the need to liberate the entire territory of Ukraine, including Crimea, from the Russian occupation.

He said this in Kyiv during a speech at the second summit of the Crimea platform.

"Crimea is Ukraine. Just as Gdańsk or Lublin are part of Poland, Crimea is and will be part of Ukraine," Duda said in Ukrainian.

He stated that it is impossible to return to the usual business with Russia when it is at war with Ukraine and occupies the territories of Ukraine.

"We can't go back to the line that was on 23 February. The entire territory of Ukraine must be liberated, including Crimea," Duda said.

He noted that he had not personally visited Crimea, but recalled how the poet Adam Mickiewicz wrote about it. "Since 2014, I began to think that I missed this opportunity. But in 2022, I began to believe that I would see the Ukrainian Crimea. I believe, Mr. Volodymyr [Zelensky - ed.], that you will show me Crimea," said the Polish leader.

The Crimean Platform is an international format created in 2021 that aims to achieve the liberation of Crimea. The first summit was held last year, also on 23 August, in Kyiv.  

It was attended by representatives of 47 states and international organisations, which approved a joint intergovernmental decision on how to act to end the annexation and return Crimea.