Zelensky condemns Russian occupation of Crimea on anniversary
On the anniversary of Moscow’s occupation of Crimea, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reaffirmed his government’s will to bring the peninsula back into the Ukrainian state federation. “In 2014, Russian aggression began with the capture of Crimea,” Zelensky said in his nightly video address on Sunday. “It is logical that with the liberation of Crimea, we will mark a historic end to all attempts by Russia to ruin the lives of Ukrainians and all the peoples of Europe and Asia, which the Kremlin once claimed to subdue.”
“Today, February 26, we mark the Day of Resistance against the Occupation of Crimea and Sevastopol,” said Zelensky. He called on the media of Ukraine to emphasize “that Ukraine does not abandon anyone, does not leave anyone to the enemy”. At the same time, Zelensky was confident: “International law will prevail here, on the soil of Ukraine: in the Donbass, in Azov, in Cherson and in the Crimea.”
In spring 2014, Russia took control of the Crimean Peninsula, which belongs to Ukraine. The first armed clashes between supporters of the Ukrainian government and pro-Russian demonstrators on February 26, 2014 finally led to military intervention by Russia. A controlled referendum on incorporation into the Russian Federation led to Moscow’s annexation of Crimea in March.