Duda doubts Crimea deoccupation - Ukrainian ambassador issues reminder
Photo: Polish President Andrzej Duda (Getty Images)
Polish President Andrzej Duda has expressed doubts about Ukraine's ability to deoccupy Crimea. Ukraine's Ambassador to Poland, Vasyl Zvarych has already responded, emphasizing that this is "our common task and commitment to the free world."
"Crimea is Ukraine: it is and will remain. International law is the foundation. The temporary occupation of Crimea by Russia is a war crime for which it will be held accountable," said Zvarych.
Addressing Duda and the global community, he emphasized that the deoccupation of Crimea is "our common task and commitment to the free world."
"We will do it without a doubt. We believe and work together," added the ambassador.
What Duda said
Polish President Andrzej Duda expressed uncertainty about Ukraine's ability to deoccupy Crimea but believes it can reclaim Donetsk and Luhansk.
"I don't know if (Ukraine) will reclaim Crimea, but I believe it will reclaim Donetsk and Luhansk," he said.
According to him, the Crimean Peninsula, annexed by Russia in 2014, eight years before the start of the full-scale invasion, "holds a special place... including for historical reasons."
"Because, in reality, if we look historically, it was in the hands of Russia for most of the time," added the President of Poland.
Duda's statements on Crimea
In June of last year, Duda suggested that countries regularly urging Ukraine to "compromise" with Russia should relinquish their own territories.
"Let Ukraine get back Donetsk, Luhansk, and Crimea, and let someone give Russia a piece of their territory. Go ahead! I think Russia will be happy to get some nice piece, perhaps on the Mediterranean coast," he said then.
In August 2022, Duda announced a visit to Crimea after the deoccupation of the territory. Moreover, the Polish leader proposed to the President of Ukraine to show him the peninsula.
