Zelensky: Crimea is the most difficult issue in negotiations with Russia
Ukrainian representatives in Minsk have handed over a list of more than 200 names for the next prisoners swap with Russia. Discussions with Russia on the rights of Crimean Tatars in the annexed Crimea are also continuing, said the Ukrainian President Volodymur Zelensky in an interview with the Turkish TV channel TRT, as cited by the press service of the Ukrainian President.
He stressed that Crimea remains the most difficult issue in the negotiations, but, without it, it is impossible to talk about the territorial integrity of Ukraine.
"When I participated in the Normandy meeting, I raised this issue, but everyone was talking about the Donbas, how to stop the war in the Donbas. Crimea was not mentioned there, there was no agreement. Crimea is a strategic issue for us. We cannot talk about the territorial integrity of Ukraine without discussing Crimea," the President said.
Earlier, the head of the Ukrainian President’s Administration, Andriy Yermak, discussed with the deputy head of Putin’s Administration, Dmitry Kozak, the next exchange of prisoners in the "all for all" format.
According to the Ukrainian human rights commissioner Lyudmila Denisova, there are between 113 and 115 Ukrainians held captive in Russia. Among them, there are more than 80 Crimean Tatars. The list published on the Crimean Tatar resource center includes 86 Crimean political prisoners. The Crimean human rights group has the same number.
Russian human rights commissioner in the annexed Crimea, Larisa Opanasyuk, said that 41 Crimeans are detained by the Ukrainian security services.
In February 2014, armed people in uniforms without insignias appeared in Crimea and captured the Supreme Council of Crimea, the Simferopol Airport, the Kerch ferry crossing and other strategic objects, and prevented the Ukrainian army from taking action. Initially, the Russian government refused to acknowledge that these armed people were Russian soldiers, but President Vladimir Putin later admitted it.
On 16 March 2014, a referendum on the status of Crimea was held in Crimea and Sevastopol, in which the inhabitants supposedly voted for the peninsula to become part of Russia. The outcome of the so-called referendum is not recognized by Ukraine, the EU or the US. On 18 March, Putin announced the “annexation” of Crimea to Russia.
International organizations have declared the annexation illegal and condemned Russia’s actions. Western countries have imposed economic sanctions on Russia in connection with the annexation. Russia claims to have “restored historical justice”. Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, declared 20 February 2014 the start of Russia’s temporary occupation of Crimea and Sevastopol.