Zelenskyy on why he believes that Crimea will be easier to de-occupy than Donbas
It will be easier to de-occupy Crimea than Donbas, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said while speaking about the complexities of de-occupation with students in Mykolaiv on Nov. 29.
He believes this is due to the militarization of Donbas.
"It may happen that these territories will be returned (under Kyiv’s control) earlier than the people there (mentally). For example, when we talk about Donbas, people have been living there (in occupied territory) for ten years, but at the same time they are not there, they are in a different environment. And this (de-occupation) is a long process. It can be completely different. I think it is more difficult in Donbas. My partners once told me that it would be almost impossible for you to reintegrate Crimea, and very difficult to reintegrate Donbas. But in my opinion, if we are talking about people, because the territories will be returned with people anyway, and it will be very, very difficult, if people do not want to," Zelenskyy said, adding that the Donbas mental return would be more challenging due to the region's militarization and continuous hostilities over the past decade.
"Even now, when Russia is fighting against us, the most violent separatists are standing firm (against the Ukrainians), while the Russians are fleeing. That says a lot. There was no military hostilities in Crimea, so I think it is very much looking forward to its return. Donbas is also waiting, but it will be very difficult, because most of this territory is occupied and militarized".
Zelenskyy also stressed the importance of maintaining Ukraine's unity in the face of ongoing challenges.
Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council has developed a 12-step strategy for the de-occupation of Crimea, National Security and Defense Council secretary, Oleksiy Danilov, announced on Facebook on April 2.
In September, Kyrylo Budanov, Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) Head of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, said that since mid-August "there has been a certain intensification of activities in Crimea," which could suggest an answer to the question of the de-occupation of the peninsula.
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