Dec. 3, 2024, 1:21 p.m.
(Photo: Screenshot from the video)
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the Ukrainian army currently lacks the resources to return the temporarily occupied Crimea, so it is necessary to look for diplomatic ways to resolve this issue.
In an interview with the Japanese Kyodo News agency, he emphasized that the situation around Crimea can be resolved only after Ukraine reaches a level of strength that will not allow Russia to resort to aggression again.
"We do not have enough strength to return Crimea. Our army is not strong enough. We need to find diplomatic ways, but this will be possible only after we know that we are so strong that the Russians will not return with aggression. Then we can think about diplomatic steps," he said.
The Head of State also noted that Crimea is strategically important not only for Ukraine, but also for the whole world, as its control determines security in the Black Sea and global food security.
The President emphasized that the occupation of Crimea by Russia had led to the blockade of the Black Sea, complicating the export of Ukrainian agricultural products to Africa, Asia and Europe.
He also assured that Ukraine intends to return all the occupied territories, preferring the diplomatic route to minimize human losses.
In April, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine needed ATACMS missiles with a range of up to 300 kilometers to be able to hit targets in the occupied Crimea and thus reduce the air threat from that direction.
At the same time, there have been statements that Ukraine has the potential to completely destroy the Crimean bridge for all time. The head of the SBU , Vasyl Malyuk, said this in an interview during the United News marathon.
Ірина Глухова