Zelenskyy thanked Ukrainian Muslims and the entire Muslim community of the world for their commitment to maintaining peace and justice.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday hosted the first “official” iftar with Muslim soldiers observing Ramadan, in what he said would become an annual “new tradition of respect”.

Iftar is the meal breaking the daily fast during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

Addressing the participants that also include representatives of the diplomatic corps and the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people who gathered to take part in the dinner outside a mosque in the centre of Kyiv, Zelensky thanked the Muslim community in Ukraine and across the world for their commitment to defending Ukraine.

“Today we are establishing the following tradition for Ukraine — Iftar at an official level, together with our heroes — the present Muslim soldiers, together with the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, together with representatives of the entire Muslim community of Ukraine,” he said.

“By this act, we affirm that Ukraine values every person and every community.”

Zelensky said the month of Ramadan was “respected everywhere in Ukraine – even at the front line, even in combat conditions”. He criticised Russia’s treatment of the Muslim-minority Tatar community in Russian-occupied Crimea and vowed to recapture the peninsula.

Since Moscow’s unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2021, Kyiv has launched multiple strikes against Russian positions in Crimea, which was previously captured by Moscow in 2014 and is currently under Kremlin control.

The Tatar community accounted for at least 12 to 15 percent of the two million Crimea residents. Reports suggest that after taking over Crimea, Russia banned Mejlis – the traditional assembly of the Tatar. It also declared it an extremist organisation and has jailed members of the community since, citing security concerns. 

Zelensky has repeatedly vowed to liberate Crimea, which he says remains “part of Ukrainian people and society”.

“Russia’s attempt to enslave Ukraine and other people of Europe began exactly with the occupation of the Ukrainian Crimea, precisely from repressions in the Crimea against Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar freedom, against Crimean Muslims,” Zelensky said Friday.

“There is no alternative for Ukraine or for the world other than the liberation of Crimea. We will return to Crimea,” he added. 

Zelensky also conferred awards to several Muslim Ukrainian soldiers. “Ukraine is grateful to the Muslims of our country and to everyone in the Muslim community of the world who, like us, longs for peace and protection from evil,” he said.