Chubarov: The liberation of the Donbas and the Crimea are not separate issues
The matter of the liberation of the Crimea and the libaration of the Donbas must not be separated from each other; a single formula for recovering the territorial integrity of Ukraine is needed, as stated by MP Refat Chubarov, Leader of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, while speaking at the international forum “Crimea under occupation: consequences for Ukraine and the world”.
“Unfortunately, another direction has been imposed on us, and we – I mean Ukraine – have gone in this direction: we have separated the events and Russia’s and war against Ukraine in Eastern Ukraine from the occupation of the Crimea. In this regard, priorities cannot be singled out when dealing with matters relating to the territorial integrity of Ukraine,” he said.
“We must come to a single formula for recovering the territorial integrity of Ukraine in its internationally recognised borders,” Chubarov added. He noted that against the background of the repression of pro-Ukrainian inhabitants of the Crimea, it must be shown that they have not been abandoned.
Chubarov also commented on MP Andrey Artemenko’s “plan”, which allows for the possibility of leasing the Crimea to Russia.
According to the Leader of the Mejlis, this is a “gut check” for Ukrainian society.
“Ukrainian society is being tested, ... they just want to check if we are outright villains, willing to trade our land, and for some reason this is being done by people whose native land is not the Crimea,” Chubarov noted.