Polish Foreign Minister proposes placing Crimea under UN mandate: Mejlis responds
Photo: Refat Chubarov (Getty Images)
The statement by Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski suggesting that Crimea could be placed under a UN mandate is unacceptable, states Refat Chubarov, head of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people.
What preceded
Today, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski stated that Crimea plays a crucial role in potential peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. He suggested that one possible solution for the peninsula could be placing it under a UN mandate.
"Crimea is symbolically important for Russia, especially for (Russian leader Vladimir - ed.) Putin, but it is strategically important for Ukraine. I do not see how peace can be achieved without the demilitarization of Crimea," he said.
Reaction from the Mejlis
"Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski publicly suggested that to end Russia's war against Ukraine, our country should cede Crimea. Otherwise, it is impossible to interpret the Polish diplomat's words differently," Chubarov stated.
According to him, the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people considers such statements unacceptable and cynical. They do not align with Ukraine's national interests or the rights and interests of the indigenous Crimean Tatar people of Ukraine.
The Mejlis reminded that according to Ukrainian national legislation and international law, the "legal residents" of Crimea are exclusively Ukrainian citizens and those who have legally established their permanent or temporary residence on Ukrainian territory, as confirmed by Ukrainian law. Therefore, other attempts to establish legal residency in Ukrainian Crimea are unnecessary and inappropriate.
"Crimea is a temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine, and the first step towards establishing peace must be the withdrawal of Russian occupation forces from the peninsula," the statement said.
Return of Crimea under Ukrainian control
According to Defense Intelligence representative Andrii Yusov, the Ukrainian command already has a plan for the destruction of the Kerch Bridge and the liberation of occupied Crimea. Specifically, last year President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the bridge is one of the main targets for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Recently, Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine will continue its struggle until Crimea is liberated from the occupier.
