On April 23 Donald Trump has accused Volodymyr Zelensky of harming peace negotiations, after the Ukrainian president said Kyiv would not recognise Russian control of Crimea. Writing on Truth Social, Trump claimed a deal to end the war was “very close”, but that Zelensky’s refusal to accept US terms “will do nothing but prolong” the conflict.
Southern peninsula of Ukraine illegally annexed by Russia in 2014 and Ukraine always has very clear position – it will not give up Crimea. It is an internationally recognized part of Ukraine and not an object of bargaining. An “agreement” without Ukraine’s interests is not peace, but a prerequisite for a new war. The myth of the “unarmed surrender of Crimea,” actively supported by Russian propaganda, distorts real historical facts.
It is well known that the annexation of Crimea took place under conditions of de facto military occupation by the Russian Armed Forces and under the threat of the use of force. In March 2014, Ukraine had only a few combat-ready battalions, and the US and the EU were not ready to support Ukraine militarily and calls for restraint were heard in the international political arena.
It is also important to remember that Crimea is not just a territory. It is Russia’s main military base in the region, from which Ukrainian cities are shelled, trade routes are blocked, and which poses a threat to Romania, Bulgaria, and even Turkey. If Russia keeps Crimea, it will be able to continue to keep the entire Black Sea region in tension.
Today, we can definitely say that recognising Russia’s illegal occupation of Crimea would not only be politically dangerous idea, but it would also be contrary to post-war international legal norms that borders should not be changed by force.
