President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia is signaling to the United States that it wants Washington to recognize Crimea as Russian territory, a demand Kyiv will never accept because it contradicts Ukraine’s Constitution.
According to Ukrinform, Zelensky, speaking to journalists, said Moscow understands that Ukraine itself will not recognize Russia’s claim to the peninsula but is nonetheless attempting to push the issue internationally.
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“I believe that Russia is most likely sending a signal to America to recognize Crimea,” Zelensky said. “Understanding that Ukraine will not recognize it.”
Constitutional red lines
Zelensky stressed that any settlement to end the war must be stable and dignified, warning against solutions that would legitimize aggression and lay the groundwork for future conflict.
“The end of the war must be dignified and stable, without creating new risks of war by rewarding the aggressor,” he said.
He added that Ukraine would not support any agreement that violates its basic law.
“We are simply saying that if someone wants to resolve issues concerning us that contradict the constitution of Ukraine or Ukrainian legislation, Ukraine will not support such agreements,” the president said.
Under Ukraine’s constitution, Crimea is an inseparable part of the country, making any formal recognition of Russia’s annexation legally impossible for Kyiv.
Russia’s Digital Iron Curtain
UN rejects Russia’s argument on self-determination
Zelensky’s remarks come amid renewed Russian efforts to frame its occupation of Ukrainian territories as an exercise in self-determination.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has explicitly rejected that argument. Responding to questions from a Russian journalist at a press conference, Guterres said the principle of self-determination cannot be applied to Crimea or the Donbas.
“There are two important principles,” Guterres said. “The first principle is the territorial integrity of states. The other principle is the self-determination of peoples.”
He noted that, based on conclusions by the UN’s legal office, the conditions required for self-determination are not met in Crimea or the Donbas, meaning Ukraine’s territorial integrity takes precedence.
Russian state media have reported that Moscow has attempted to draw parallels between its occupation of Ukrainian territories and debates surrounding Greenland, and has raised the issue with the UN in an effort to legitimize its claims.
Annexation and ongoing conflict
Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 following a military takeover and a widely condemned referendum, a move rejected by Ukraine and most of the international community. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, Crimea has remained a key strategic hub for Russian naval and air forces.
Kyiv has repeatedly stated that the peninsula is a legitimate military target and has carried out strikes against Russian airfields, logistics sites and energy infrastructure there as part of its broader campaign to degrade Russia’s military capabilities.
Zelensky has consistently said that Ukraine’s territorial integrity is non-negotiable, underscoring that any peace arrangement requiring recognition of Russia’s seizure of Crimea would be unacceptable to Kyiv.
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