What could make Russia withdraw from Crimea? Mejlis chief explains
Photo: Refat Chubarov, Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People (Getty Images)
Further isolation of occupied Crimea, combined with depriving Russian forces of fuel and electricity, could force the Kremlin either to begin negotiations or withdraw its troops, according to the head of the Crimean Tatar Mejlis, Refat Chubarov.
What is happening on the peninsula
According to Chubarov, the temporarily occupied peninsula is now on the verge of panic. While there is no outright chaos among the Russians yet, the tensions are rising rapidly.
In pro-Russian online communities, Crimean residents are increasingly expressing dissatisfaction. People are asking why the occupation authorities are not providing clear answers to security challenges and where the promised assistance from Moscow is.
How Russia could be pushed into negotiations
The Mejlis leader believes that sustaining Russia's military presence in Crimea would become significantly more difficult if the Russian forces were deprived of electricity and fuel.
At present, all Russian military supplies rely on just two routes — the land corridor through occupied Mariupol and Melitopol, and the Crimean Bridge.
According to Chubarov, the complete isolation of the peninsula and the destruction of these supply routes would force Moscow to make a choice: either sit down at the negotiating table or begin a large-scale withdrawal of forces.
He stressed that panic would begin as soon as Russia started evacuating military personnel from the peninsula.
State of emergency in Crimea
On June 26, the occupation authorities announced the introduction of a regional state of emergency across all of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol.
The Russian-installed head of Crimea, Sergey Aksyonov, said the measure took effect at 1:00 p.m. and was supposedly intended to address economic issues.
The move came after a notable statement by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The Ukrainian leader said that Ukraine's operation regarding Crimea had been carefully calculated.
He emphasized that if Ukraine receives the capabilities discussed with its G7 partners, Kyiv will quickly create conditions that would force Russia to choose peace.
