May be ready for the Crimea talks

It’s reports financial times.

And Andrej Sepiha, deputy head of Zelensky’s office, said, according to the newspaper, that Kiev is ready to discuss the future of the occupied peninsula, if the forces reach the borders.

He adds that this does not mean that the Ukrainians do not rule out the military liberation of Crimea.

– If we succeed in achieving our strategic goals on the battlefield, and when we are on the administrative border with Crimea, we are ready to open a diplomatic dialogue to resolve this issue, according to Sabiha.

He was left out a long time ago

This is Ukraine’s most explicit statement of interest in negotiations since the aborted peace talks with the Kremlin last April.

Shortly after the invasion, Ukraine said it was ready to negotiate over Crimea, but Zelensky has long ruled out new peace talks before Russian forces withdraw from all Ukrainian territory, including Crimea.

Ukraine’s Crimea, which was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014, has great military and symbolic value.

The naval base in Sevastopol has important regional importance and gives Russia naval supremacy in the Black Sea.

Wagner soldier suspected of murder in Russia

Central role

Crimea also plays a central role in Russia’s war in Ukraine.

In addition to the headquarters of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, the peninsula serves as a supply depot for forces along the front lines on the mainland.

As part of its defensive strategy, Ukraine threatened the Russian occupation forces in Crimea several times during the war. Recently, however, there has been increased activity around the Russian-controlled peninsula.