Zelenskyy: Ukraine lacks weapons to retake Crimea, but the world has means to pressure Russia
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that Ukraine does not currently have enough weapons to regain control over temporarily occupied Crimea. However, he emphasised that the world has various tools at its disposal to exert pressure on Russia in order to raise territorial issues.
Source: Zelenskyy during a conversation with journalists, as reported by Interfax-Ukraine
Quote: "It is true what President Trump says. I agree with him that we do not currently have enough weapons. Weapons specifically, not people. Because our people are more important, the most important thing. But it is not true to say we do not have an army."
Details: Zelenskyy stressed that the world does have tools such as sanctions, economic pressure and diplomatic pressure "to say this, to discuss territorial issues, but only after a complete and unconditional ceasefire".
He also commented on US President Donald Trump’s statement that Crimea should remain Russian.
Quote: "Our position remains unchanged: only the Ukrainian people have the right to decide which territories are Ukrainian. And the Constitution of Ukraine decides: all temporarily occupied territories – they are temporarily occupied, they all belong to Ukraine, to the Ukrainian people. Ukraine will not legally recognise any temporarily occupied territories."
Background:
- On 22 April, Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine does not recognise Crimea, which is internationally recognised as Ukrainian territory, as Russian.
- Trump criticised the statement, saying that "Crimea was lost years ago" and that Zelenskyy’s words were "very harmful to the peace negotiations with Russia".
- US President Donald Trump reiterated in an interview with Time that he believes Ukraine's aspiration to join NATO is the main reason behind Russia's military aggression. He also stated that he considers Crimea to be lost to Ukraine.
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