Ukraine proves every day that it is fighting for Crimea and has not forgotten the peninsula – Zelenskyy
On Crimean Tatar National Flag Day, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy assured that the state fights every day for the return of all its occupied territories and will never give up Crimea, from which Russia began its aggression in 2014.
He said this in an address, Censor.NET reports.
Depriving the occupiers of a military foothold
Zelenskyy emphasized that Crimea is a key element in the overall state strategy for guaranteeing security and ending the war unleashed by Russia.
"Russia brought its war to Ukraine, first precisely in Crimea, and now through our activity — medium-range sanctions against the Russian occupier, our plan of long-range sanctions and all other forms of pressure on the aggressor — we are doing everything to force Russia to end the war and restore justice. And Crimea is at the center of this policy of ours to guarantee justice. Russia has turned Crimea into a foothold for aggressive operations against other parts of our state and against other countries. Russia tried for a very long time to normalize its war," the president said.
- The head of state added that today there is no one in the world who could accuse Ukraine of passivity or of forgetting its territories, as the daily actions of the Defense Forces demonstrate the fight to restore justice.
Justice for Crimean Tatars
Zelenskyy paid attention to the indigenous people of the peninsula, who historically suffered enormously from the Russian and Soviet regimes but, despite everything, remain an integral part of Ukrainian society.
"When we do this, we remember that justice for Ukraine also means justice for the Crimean Tatar people. A people who were forced to go through deportation and decades of abuse. A people who were able to return to their homeland, but whose home the Russians tried to steal again. A people who preserve their vitality and are an integral part of our society," the president noted.
Honoring the blue banner with the golden tamga, Zelenskyy summarized that the ultimate goal of this struggle is to stop Russian aggression, free absolutely all Ukrainian captives who are currently in Russian captivity, and guarantee reliable peace for the entire country.
The president ended his address with words of support in the Crimean Tatar language and the traditional slogan: "Qırımtatar Milliy Bayraq künü hayırlı olsun! Glory to Ukraine!"
