10 July 2024

The President of Ukraine Emphasizes That Giving Up Crimea Means Continuing the War During His Visit to Washington

During his visit to the United States, where the NATO summit is taking place, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute in Washington. When asked by an American journalist whether Ukraine would negotiate with Putin over Crimea to stop the war, Zelenskyy asserted that the Russian dictator would not stop at Crimea, or even Donetsk and Luhansk regions, and only needed a pause to restore his strength to continue Russian aggression.

“Speaking of Crimea, he needs a break. He had Crimea, which he occupied back in 2014. Has he stopped? No, he didn’t. Then, he occupied parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Now, he claims that he only needs Crimea and Donbas, and that’s it. He is a deceiver because he had Crimea as well as part of Donbas, but he still launched a full-scale invasion,” the President noted.

Additionally, the President emphasized that Russia will never stop, only needing a rest to accumulate more strength and continue its war of aggression against the democratic world. “Putin always counts on dividing the world, dividing the U.S., and dividing European countries. He fears unity,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy underlined.