Paris proposes to enshrine Crimea's Ukrainian status in the name of metro station

In France, it was proposed to change the name of the Paris metro station "Crimée" to "Crimea-Ukraine" to emphasize the Ukrainian affiliation of the peninsula and to remind of the non-recognition of the Russian occupation. Ukrainian, French, and international public figures made a corresponding appeal to the French authorities.

The president of the organization Stand With Ukraine, Edward Mayor, told Ukrinform.

The initiative was voiced in an open letter addressed to the President of France, the Minister of Transport, the management of the RATP transport company, the authorities of the Ile-de-France region and the mayor of Paris.

Among those who supported the appeal are human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Oleksandra Matviychuk, Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people Refat Chubarov, writer Anastasia Levkova, representatives of the Ukrainian Institute, MP Tamila Tasheva, as well as French artists and civic activists.

According to Edward Mayor, at a time when the war is waged not only on the battlefield, but also in the space of symbols, memory and meanings, public confirmation that Crimea is part of Ukraine could be an important sign of support for Ukrainians and protection of European values.

The authors of the initiative emphasize that after the occupation of Crimea and the full-scale war, geographical names have acquired political meaning. In their opinion, changing the name of the station would not only be symbolic, but would also demonstrate a consistent position on non-recognition of the Russian annexation.

The Crimée station, which has been operating in the 19th arrondissement of Paris for over a hundred years, may receive a new symbolic clarification. The initiators are convinced that adding the word "Ukraine" would be a sign of solidarity with the Ukrainian people and confirmation of support for Ukraine's territorial integrity.

In April, a large-scale installation of 20,000 teddy bears was deployed in downtown Washington, D.C., to remind the world of the abduction of Ukrainian children by Russia, particularly from the Kherson region and Crimea. The action signaled to the international community the need to return the deported children and increase pressure on the aggressor country.

Анна Бальчінос