Using the Ukrainian military to retake Crimea from Russia is not a realistic
proposition, but it could be an option in the future.
The chairman of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine,
Aleksey Danilov, made the remarks on Thursday.
Speaking to TV channel 1+1 on Saturday (5/2/2022), Aleksey Danilov explained
that Ukraine would not simply accept Crimea as now part of Russia.
He said the government would "do everything" in its power to control the
peninsula.
“Do we have a strategy of returning Crimea militarily? Right now, we have a
strategy to bring Crimea back," he said.
He added, “Whether it's the military way, whether it's another way, it
depends on many factors. As of today, I can say that is impossible."
"What will happen tomorrow or in a year, we'll see. This is not a simple
matter," he said. Crimea came under Moscow's control in 2014, when the
peninsula was retaken by Russia, following a referendum.
The vote took place a month after the Maidan events, when violent street
protests toppled Kiev's democratically elected government.
Ukraine, as well as much of the world, considers the referendum illegitimate
and views Crimea as illegally occupied by Moscow.
National security officials also spoke about the territory of the country
currently under separatist control in eastern Ukraine.
According to Danilov, seizing these areas is also impossible by military
means, because it will take many victims.
Speaking last year, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia would work
"to help Ukraine solve the Donbass problem, but Crimea is out of the
discussion."
In January, the head of the German Navy, Vice Admiral Kay-Achim Schonbach,
was forced to resign after claiming Crimea "will never return" and that
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia "probably deserve respect."
He vacated his post after Ukraine's foreign minister summoned the German
ambassador to complain about the "unacceptability" of Schonbach's comments.
