NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg commented on the liberation of the occupied Crimea by military means. Stoltenberg believes that Crimea is of no small importance for the upcoming negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.
Answering the question whether Ukraine has to return Crimea by force, Stoltenberg said that “the war must end at the negotiating table.” He noted that Ukraine must decide what are the terms of the negotiations and that they can be accepted.
Stoltenberg said that NATO should help Kyiv with weapons
NATO Secretary General stressed that Ukraine needs to have a strong negotiating position, which depends on the situation on the battlefield.
“Our task is to support Ukraine, because we know that what happens at the negotiating table is inseparable from what happens on the battlefield,” he said.
Stoltenberg added that Ukraine will decide for itself which solution is acceptable to it. At the same time, the West, as NATO Secretary General says, should help Kyiv with weapons.
If we want a peaceful solution for Ukraine, then the best way to achieve this is to provide military support. Then Ukraine will decide for itself what conditions are acceptable for it,” he said.
Kuleba called two ways to return the Crimea
- Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba stressed that Ukraine is striving to return Crimea. Kuleba stressed that the return of Crimea is extremely important for Ukraine, noting that it was there that the war began and that it should end there.
- Regarding the method of returning the peninsula, the Minister of Foreign Affairs noted that diplomatic or military means could be used.
- At the same time, the Foreign Minister warned of possible speculation in Crimea. In particular, he explained that the issue of the special status of Crimea contributes to the Russian narrative.
- The fact that Ukraine seeks to dismiss the Crimea, said President Volodymyr Zelensky in Davos. The head of state said that Ukraine needed long-range weapons to accomplish this task.
- At the same time, the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Moscow Region, Kirill Budanov, named the likely dates for the de-occupation of Crimea. He believes that by the summer of 2023 Ukraine can return the Crimea.
