Trump slams Zelensky for refusing to recognize Russian control of Crimea

[Emrys]

23. Yes, let's look at the opinion of Crimea's oldest indigenous population, the Tatars

Tatars vow to oppose any recognition of Crimea as part of Russia


Crimea is an integral part of Ukraine, said Refat Chubarov, head of an executive body representing Crimean Tatars.

An executive body representing Crimea’s Tatar minority has vowed to oppose any international recognition of the Moscow-occupied Ukrainian peninsula as part of Russia.

The development comes amid reports that the U.S. has pitched Ukraine a peace formula that includes, among other elements, ruling out NATO membership for the country while giving formal American recognition of Russia’s annexation of Crimea.

Crimea has been under Russian occupation since 2014. Moscow illegally annexed the territory following a sham referendum held under military occupation and without international observers.

On Tuesday, the Mejlis, one of the formal bodies representing the Crimean Tatar people, said that any move to recognize Crimea as Russian would violate international Law.

https://tvpworld.com/86307693/tatars-vow-to-oppose-any-recognition-of-crimea-as-part-of-russia

Putin predictably labelled the Tatar Mejlis an "extremist" organization in 2016. Tatars remaining in Crimea have been subjected to various forms of repression, violence and grotesque torture.

Mustafa Dzhemilev, the Tatar leader who has served seven terms in Ukraine's parliament having served six terms in Soviet prison camps during 1966-1986, has also protested about the plan:

The transfer of Crimea contradicts the Constitution of Ukraine and is a crime - Dzhemilev

Recently, information began to spread that the administration of Donald Trump supposedly approached the Ukrainian leadership with a proposal to make compromises regarding Crimea in the context of a peace agreement. However, this position was not officially voiced by the US president himself.



This was revealed in an exclusive interview by the leader of the Crimean Tatar people, Mustafa Dzhemilev. He mentioned that this information does not have official confirmation, but rumors have been circulating for a long time.

"First of all, it is not officially confirmed yet. Such rumors have been circulating for a long time, but there is no clear confirmation of them. I know that Trump’s special representative, Steve Witkoff, in an interview with Carlson, mentioned that to achieve peace, the main issues are territorial issues. He said that it’s Donbas, Luhansk, ’and two more’ regions of Ukraine plus Crimea. Supposedly, if we resolve the issue of transferring these territories to Russia, then the peace agreement will progress rapidly," said the Hero of Ukraine.

However, in his opinion, the important thing is not what other countries may propose, but Ukraine’s position, which remains unchanged.

"Ukraine will never, under any circumstances, recognize Crimea as Russian. It contradicts the Constitution, and it’s a criminal offense in general to recognize the annexation of a territory by any country," the expert noted.

Dzhemilev also added that in 2018 the US adopted a declaration that clearly stated the non-recognition of Russia’s annexation of Crimea, which is established at the state level.

"Trump and his administration come and go, but our country remains. The next US administration will undoubtedly overturn such decisions unless we liberate Crimea ourselves by then," said the Ukrainian Member of Parliament.

https://antikor.ua/en/articles/764357-peredacha_kryma_protivorechit_konstitutsii_ukrainy_i_javljaetsja_prestupleniem__dhemilev

In January, Zelensky named Dzhemilev's deputy in the Mejlis, Nariman Dzhelyal, as Ukrainian Ambassador to Turkey. This was a step up for Dzhelyal, as he'd been sentenced to 17 years' imprisonment by the Russians under conveniently cooked-up accusations of terrorism in 2022, then released in a prisoner swap on June last year:

The Crimean Tatar imprisoned by Russia, promoted to high office by Ukraine - https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/1/28/crimean-tatars-jailed-by-russia-hailed-by-ukraine

He's just one of many who've been terrorized by Putin's regime in Crimea, so bear that in mind whenever you read glib statistics about public opinion or demographics there.