Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy acknowledged that regaining control over Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014, would likely require diplomatic efforts rather than military action. In an interview with Fox News, broadcast on Wednesday, Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine could not afford the high cost in lives that would be involved in a military campaign to reclaim the peninsula.
Zelenskyy reiterated his firm stance against conceding any territory occupied by Russian forces, emphasizing that Ukraine could not legally recognize any of its land as Russian. “We cannot spend tens of thousands of our people so that they perish for the sake of Crimea coming back,” he said, stressing that even with military action, it is uncertain whether Crimea could be retaken. “We understand that Crimea can be brought back diplomatically,” he added.
Since Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, following the ousting of Ukraine’s Russia-friendly president, Moscow’s control over the region has been contested. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 further complicated the situation, with Russian forces now occupying about one-fifth of Ukrainian territory. Moscow has declared the annexation of four Ukrainian provinces, but it does not fully control any of them.
Zelenskyy has previously proposed a peace formula based on the withdrawal of Russian troops and a “victory plan” for Ukraine. His recent remarks have highlighted the need for robust security guarantees and Ukraine’s aspiration to join NATO demands that have been firmly rejected by Russia.