Dzhemilev: Military De‑occupation of Crimea Impossible

Mustafa Dzhemilev, Leader of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people and Petro Poroshenko Bloc MP, said in an interview to Voice of America that Ukraine does not think it is possible to return Crimea by military methods.

Dzhemilev also highlighted that Ukraine has high hopes for NATO in terms of countering Russian aggression. "NATO can do a lot, but in my opinion, it lacks determination," he said.

"NATO could demonstrate the same level of determination as they did after the genocide in Kosovo, but that doesn’t happen. In any way, we can’t rely on military methods to return Crimea, because it will be a complete tragedy for our people – Russians will just start ethnic cleansing of Crimean Tatars. However, NATO should demonstrate its commitment to the aggressor," Dzhemilev claimed.

He also expressed concern over the calls voiced in several countries including Italy and France to drop sanctions against Russia if the Minsk agreements are implemented.

"However, the Minsk agreements have nothing to do with complete restoration of the territorial integrity of Ukraine. If the sanctions are lifted, the return of Crimea will become a distant prospect," he stressed.

Source: Ukrayinska Pravda