President Volodymyr Zelensky told Financial Times that he is in favor of liberating Crimea by “non-military means” if possible, but “no one should waste their time” on excluding the liberation of Crimea in potential solutions to ending Russia's war.
“We must return all lands… because I believe that the battlefield is the way when there is no diplomacy,” Zelensky. “If you can’t get your land back entirely, the war is simply frozen. It’s a question of time before it resumes.”
Some Western partners are concerned that Ukraine’s efforts to liberate Crimea may lead to dangerous escalation by Russia, potentially even the use of nuclear weapons, according to the Financial Times.
Zelensky maintained that Russia’s incessant attacks on Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure demonstrated that Russia has no intention of negotiating an end to the war.
At the G20 summit on Nov. 15, Zelensky presented a ten-point peace plan to end Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine.
The plan envisages preventing ecocide in Ukraine, punishing those responsible for war crimes, withdrawing all Russian troops from the territory of Ukraine, restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity, and the release of all prisoners of war and deportees.
The proposals also call for ensuring energy security, food security, and nuclear safety.
According to Zelensky's plan, "when all the antiwar measures are implemented, when security and justice begin to be restored, a document confirming the end of the war should be signed by the parties."
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