Zelenskyy: Ukraine War Will Continue Until Crimea Taken

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday that the war will never end in a peaceful agreement as long as the Russia occupies Crimea.

Speaking to CNN, Zelenskyy declared, “We cannot imagine Ukraine without Crimea. And while Crimea is under the Russian occupation, it means only one thing: War is not over yet.”

Russia seized Crimea in 2014, five years before Zelenskyy was elected to lead the nation. This action resulted from the overthrow and exile of Ukraine’s former president, Viktor Yanukovych, who had close relations with Moscow.

The U.S. under former President Barack Obama was quick to criticize the Russian move, but the Kremlin maintained a tight grip on the area. Zelenskyy made it clear that conflict would continue until that hold is no more.

When asked by the outlet whether he would agree to terms to end the conflict without Crimea’s liberation included, Zelenskyy replied, “It would not be victory then.” 

He further asserted that the brief rebellion by the Wagner Group against Russian President Vladimir Putin showed the leader’s grip on power is weakened. Oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin first expressed concerns about the Russian Defense Ministry and the conditions his forces fought under.

Shortly after, his troops left Ukraine and marched on Moscow, only to reconsider and turn around.

Prigozhin traveled to Belarus for exile, though the Kremlin said he will not face charges for the mutiny. To Zelenskyy, the incident was a display of weakness by Putin.

The president explained, “First, we see he doesn’t control everything. Wagner’s moving deep into Russia and taking certain regions shows how easy it is to do. Putin doesn’t control the situation in the regions.”

The president recently confirmed that elections will likely not be held when his term is over next year due to the war — as he continues to dictate terms Russia will clearly not accept.