Zelensky threatened to return the Crimea in any way

Ukraine will return Crimea in any way it considers right, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said at a press conference of the second Crimean Platform international summit. About it informs Reuters agency.

According to Zelensky, Ukraine will not consult with other countries on this issue.

Earlier, during his speech at the summit, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz declaredthat Western countries will “never recognize” the annexation of the territories of Ukraine to Russia and will continue to exert sanctions pressure on Moscow. Polish President Andrzej Duda saidthat it is necessary to dismantle the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline instead of suspending the flow of gas through it. He also noted that the construction of the gas pipeline began after Crimea became part of Russia, but the West still “continued to appease” the Kremlin and do business with it. Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau announced at the summit on new sanctions against Russia: 62 Russian individuals and one company in the defense sector fell under the country’s restrictions.

August 18 edition of Politico, citing a White House representative reportedthat the United States gave permission to the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) to use American weapons to strike in Crimea. According to the interlocutor of the publication, all the weapons that were transferred to the Ukrainian side are intended for self-defense, and strikes against targets on “sovereign Ukrainian soil” are self-defense by definition.

The Crimean Platform Summit is held at the initiative of Ukraine. Among the goals of the summit, the Kyiv authorities name the discussion of ways to “de-occupy” the Crimea. The Russian authorities declared the anti-Russian and unfriendly nature of the event.

Crimea became part of Russia in 2014 after a referendum. According to its results, 96.77% of voters in the Republic of Crimea and 95.6% in Sevastopol were in favor of joining Russia. Nevertheless, Kyiv continues to insist that Crimea is Ukrainian territory. According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the issue of Crimea is “finally closed.”