StandWithUkraine

Today, we remember and honor the memory of all the victims of one of the most brutal crimes of the Soviet regime – the deportation of the Crimean Tatar people. A deportation that became an act of obvious genocide against the Crimean Tatar people. The year 1944 will forever remain in history as an attempt to destroy a nation – when young and old alike were thrown out of their homes and sent into an alien land. A significant part of the people died on the way, and many did not survive in the places of exile – at least one third, and that may be a very conservative estimate. We remember them. We have not forgotten, and we have not forgiven what happened. No nation deserves such a fate. And beyond that, Russia has not stopped at what it has already done – it launched a new war against Ukraine from none other than Crimea, once again trying to deprive the Crimean Tatar people, and all of us, all Ukrainians, of our home. We are defending ourselves against this, and as long as we stand together and help one another, we will stand our ground. Eternal memory to all victims of the 1944 deportation. Eternal glory to those who fight for life and defend Ukraine.

May 18, 2026 marks the 82nd anniversary of the forced deportation of the Crimean Tatar people – one of the most brutal crimes of the Stalinist totalitarian regime and an act of genocide against the indigenous people of Crimea. In May 1944, under the false pretext of alleged collaboration with Nazi Germany, the Soviet regime carried out a deliberate act aimed at destroying the Crimean Tatar people as a national community – depriving them of their homeland, language, culture, traditions, and historical memory. Ukraine has recognized the 1944 deportation of the Crimean Tatar people as an act of genocide. We are grateful to Canada, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Czechia, and the Netherlands for adopting similar decisions, restoring historical justice and honoring the memory of the victims of this crime. We call on other countries to join the international recognition of the genocide of the Crimean Tatar people. Following the beginning of Russia’s occupation of Crimea in 2014, the occupying authorities continued the persecution and discrimination against Crimean Tatars who remained in their homeland. The ban on the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, fabricated criminal cases, forced passportization, pressure on religious communities, and the creation of unbearable living conditions are all modern forms of Russia’s forced displacement of Ukraine’s indigenous people from their land. Such actions constitute grave violations of international humanitarian law, international human rights law, and the international legal obligations of the occupying state. Ukraine honors the memory of all victims of the deportation and expresses deep respect for the Crimean Tatar people, who, despite decades of repression, preserved their national identity, culture, language, and unwavering aspiration for freedom and justice. We call on the international community to strengthen consolidated political, diplomatic, sanctions, and legal pressure on the Russian Federation in order to stop human rights violations in temporarily occupied Crimea, secure the release of all unlawfully detained persons, ensure the protection of the rights of the indigenous Crimean Tatar people, and restore Ukraine’s territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders. We demand that Russia immediately cease all forms of repression against Crimean Tatars, revoke the illegal ban on the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, release all political prisoners, and comply with its international obligations as an occupying state. The memory of the 1944 tragedy remains an inseparable part of our shared history and a warning to the world about the dangers of impunity for totalitarian regimes. Restoring justice, protecting human rights, de-occupying Crimea, and ensuring the return of the Crimean Tatar people to life in freedom on their native land remain our common tasks. Crimea is Ukraine. Qırım – Ukrainadır. Qırım serbest olacaq!

On May 18, 1944, the Soviet regime started the forced deportation of the Crimean Tatar people. Up to 46% died. Since 2014 & Russia’s occupation of Crimea, they once again faced persecution. #Ukraine honors the memory of all victims of this genocide. 📽️:#Kyiv, overnight (Suspilne)

« Et nous soutiendrons notre glorieuse #Ukraine, Hey Hey ! » « Tchervona kalyna », ce jour à #Kyiv, par Andriy Khlyvnyuk, du légendaire groupe BoomBox, et une foule 🇺🇦, pour soutenir les Forces de défense ukrainiennes. Ils avaient promis. Il y a 4 ans. (📽️: P. Niland) #Ойулузі

"And, hey-hey, we shall cheer up our glorious #Ukraine!" Chervona kalyna, today in #Kyiv by Andriy Khlyvnyuk, of the legendary Ukrainian band BoomBox, and the 🇺🇦 crowd, to support the Ukrainian Defense Forces. They promised 4 years ago. They did it. (📽️: P. Niland) #Ойулузі

#vote : 7 #Ukraine #Eurovisión2026 #Eurovisión 🩵💛🫶 (par SMS au 72121, par téléphone au 3632, Sur internet, ou sur le site de l'Eurovision : vote.eurovision.com) #StandWithUkraine️ 7

🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦 #7 Support Ukraine tonight at the Eurovision 2026 Grand Final! The show starts at 21:00 CEST – and LELÉKA will represent Ukraine with the song “Ridnym”, performing 7th. Voting will open before the first performance of the night (non-participating countries can already vote at esc.vote). Join in and cheer for Ukraine tonight 💙💛

Thank you, Volodymyr, for our constructive discussions. You know you can count on France!

As always, a good and substantive conversation with President of France @EmmanuelMacron. We were able to cover many issues, and I am grateful for our coordination across all areas. I thanked Emmanuel for his principled condemnation of Russian strikes on our cities and communities. These attacks make very clear what Russia is and why we all need to strengthen our collective defense against all threats. France is ready to work on anti-ballistic capabilities. This is a strong decision and an important step. We also discussed boosting our ability to repel Russian attacks right now. Thank you for the readiness to reinforce our air defense. We also spoke about the European track and the opening of all negotiation clusters in the near future. France supports Ukraine and understands how important this step is for all Ukrainians. Emmanuel informed me about his visit to countries in Africa. We addressed the importance of joint coordination in this area, as it is equally important for Ukraine. We agreed on our contacts in the near future. Thank you for your support!

Home 🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦 Вдома 🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦

🔔 Ce 15 mai, l'#Ukraine a ramené à la maison 205 prisonniers 🇺🇦 qui étaient détenus par la Russie, dans le cadre de la première phase de l'échange « 1 000 contre 1 000 ». « Nous continuerons à nous battre pour chaque personne qui reste en captivité », a déclaré Zelensky.

After 1,494 days in Russian captivity, a Ukrainian defender is finally back home. Tomorrow is his mother’s birthday. For years, she waited for the moment she could see and hug her son again – and now, he will finally be home for her birthday. Ukrainian defenders released from Russian captivity are calling their families, crying with happiness, and asking to share one message with everyone still waiting for their loved ones: "Don’t worry. They are holding on. They are strong. They are not giving up." Ukraine continues fighting to bring every Ukrainian home 🇺🇦

Ukraine is through to the Eurovision 2026 Grand Final! Thank you to LELÉKA and everyone who supported Ukraine, voted, shared the story of "Ridnym", and cheered for our entry around the world. See you at the Grand Final on 16 May! 🇺🇦

🇺🇦 Ukraine’s representative LELÉKA with the song “Ridnym” has qualified for the Eurovision Grand Final. Congratulations! 

Once again, Ukraine has maintained its unbroken record by qualifying for the final every single year it has participated. We sincerely thank everyone who supported Ukraine with your hearts and votes – and wish LELÉKA success in the Grand Final on May 16!

It was a Kh-101 missile that struck a residential building in Kyiv, according to preliminary data. The missile was manufactured in the second quarter of this year. This means Russia is still importing the components, resources, and equipment necessary for missile production in circumvention of global sanctions. Stopping Russia’s sanctions evasion schemes must be a genuine priority for all our partners.

🚨The number of people killed in Kyiv’s Darnytskyi district by the Russian strike on May 14 has risen to 12, including 2 children, the State Emergency Service of #Ukraine said. #Kyiv has declared May 15 a day of mourning for those killed in the massive Russian attack. #StopRussia

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha instructed to immediately initiate a meeting of the UN Security Council and to use other international platforms to respond to Russia’s killings of Ukrainian civilians and attacks against humanitarian personnel. Today's Russia’s strike on Kyiv killed at least twelve people, including two kids, and injured dozens more. The death toll may continue to rise, as people are still considered missing under the rubble. Across Ukraine, more than 50 residential buildings were damaged, including 11 in Kyiv alone. Since 6 pm yesterday and until 8 am today, Russia had launched 675 drones and 56 missiles, including ballistics. The Minister also instructed all Ukrainian embassies worldwide to lower flags tomorrow and open books of condolences in memory of the victims. Additionally, foreign ambassadors in Kyiv will be invited to visit one of the sites where the Russian strike destroyed an entire section of a residential building. 💬 “The world must see that Russia’s response to all of our constructive peace proposals is more terror and violence, and act accordingly,” Andrii Sybiha emphasized.

Ukraine came under “one of the longest” Russian attacks with drone barrages targeting regions close to the border with NATO members in the western and southwestern part of the country, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy bloomberg.com/news/articles/…

Russia launched one of its longest mass drone attacks against Ukraine, killing six people and injuring dozens, including children, on May 13. The attack has involved repeated waves of drones, with hundreds of them launched since the start of the day. The strikes came as the U.S. President arrived in China for a major visit. Russia is clearly trying to sabotage the political backdrop and draw attention to its aggression. The strikes hit multiple regions across Ukraine, including areas close to NATO borders – Zakarpattia, Lviv, Volyn, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Rivne regions, as well as Vinnytsia, Chernivtsi, Khmelnytskyi, Dnipro, Kirovohrad, Zaporizhzhia, Zhytomyr, Kyiv, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Sumy, Cherkasy, Kharkiv and Kherson regions. Russia aims to overload Ukraine's air defences and inflict maximum civilian suffering. We call on the world to increase real pressure on Russia to stop this terror.

Dozens of people are reported injured, including children, & at least 6 people killed during the massive russian attack against #Ukraine on May 13. 🇺🇦's air defense neutralizes 710 of 753 Russian drones in day-long attack. 23 strikes recorded on railway infrastructure facilities.