Mejlis expects full liberation of Crimea and Ukrainian territories

Crimean Tatars and Ukrainians want a just end to the war, but will not accept any territorial concessions to Russia. Crimea must be liberated, and no part of Ukraine can be subject to bargaining.

This was stated by the Chairman of the Mejlis Refat Chubarov in an interview with Krym.Realii.

The Head of the Mejlis commented on possible negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, which may start in Istanbul, and the role of Crimea in this process. He said that it is Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars who are most eager for peace, as they have been living in a war started by the Russian Federation for more than a decade.

"No one wants peace more than Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars. We have been living in the conditions of the war unleashed by Russia for eleven years, and we certainly want it to end justly," Chubarov said.

He emphasized that this war should end on fair terms. At present, the Mejlis expects from possible negotiations the complete liberation of all temporarily occupied territories, including Crimea.

According to Refat Chubarov, no agreements that provide for concessions of Ukrainian territory can be acceptable. He noted that the Mejlis is neither ready to imagine nor to allow a situation in which Ukraine agrees to lose part of its land.

During his visit to Turkey, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that the status of Crimea cannot be discussed, as the peninsula is an integral part of Ukraine under the Constitution.

He noted that Ukraine is ready for a dialogue on ways to regain control over the temporarily occupied territories, as well as to address the humanitarian problems caused by the war. At the same time, Zelenskyy assured that no occupied territory would be legally recognized as part of Russia.

Recently, a Crimean Tatar politician and former political prisoner Nariman Dzhelal, known for his active human rights work and consistent position on the de-occupation of Crimea, was appointed as Ukraine's ambassador to Turkey.

Анна Бальчінос