It is worth noting that the Foreign Ministry’s statement does not mention Sikorsky or say who exactly is trying to discuss the status of Crimea.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has responded to the proposal of Polish Foreign Minister Sikorski to transfer Crimea under the UN mandate for preparation of a referendum.
The ministry stressed that Crimea’s status as a Ukrainian territory is not up for discussion. Earlier, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski suggested thinking about transferring the peninsula under UN mandate in order to end the war with Russia.
It is worth noting that the Foreign Ministry’s statement does not mention Sikorsky or say who exactly is trying to discuss the status of Crimea.
“The territorial integrity of Ukraine has never been and cannot be a subject of discussion or compromise. Crimea is Ukraine. On the side of Ukraine are our Defence Forces, our partners, the UN Charter and international law. Crimea is an important centre of the European Union. Its full restoration will be possible only after the complete deoccupation of the entire territory of Ukraine, including the Ukrainian peninsula,” the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said.
They noted that they expect further support from their partners in forcing Russia to return to respecting international law and the UN Charter, withdraw its troops and weapons from the entire sovereign territory of Ukraine and restore its territorial integrity, and also hold Russia accountable for its aggression against Ukraine and for all crimes committed.
“All efforts should be aimed at quickly achieving these goals, and not at satisfying, in one way or another, the Kremlin’s appetites at the expense of Ukraine’s interests and international law,” the Foreign Ministry added.
Sikorsky’s remarks on Crimea – details
Radoslaw Sikorsky made a statement on Crimea during a debate at the XX International Conference in kyiv. Judging by this quote, Sikorsky believes that an agreement on Crimea is possible to end the war.
“Crimea is symbolically important for Russia and especially for Putin, but strategically important for Ukraine. Therefore, I don’t see how they can reach an agreement without demilitarizing Crimea. We could transfer it under a UN mandate with the mission of preparing a referendum right after, checking who is a legal resident, etc. And we could postpone it for 20 years,” he said.
The head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Ermak responded to these statements on Thursday morning, writing on his Telegram channel that “Crimea is Ukraine.” The chairman of the Majlis of the Crimean Tatar people, Refat Chubarov, also responded to Sikorsky’s words. According to him, such proposals are unacceptable and cynical, and do not meet the interests of Ukraine and the Crimean Tatars.
