The transfer of Crimea contradicts the Constitution of Ukraine and is a crime, - Dzhemilev

The transfer of Crimea contradicts the Constitution of Ukraine and is a crime, - Dzhemilev

Recently, information began to spread that the administration of Donald Trump supposedly approached the Ukrainian leadership with a proposal to make compromises regarding Crimea in the context of a peace agreement. However, this position was not officially voiced by the US president himself.

This was revealed in an exclusive interview by the leader of the Crimean Tatar people, Mustafa Dzhemilev. He mentioned that this information does not have official confirmation, but rumors have been circulating for a long time.

"First of all, it is not officially confirmed yet. Such rumors have been circulating for a long time, but there is no clear confirmation of them. I know that Trump’s special representative, Steve Witkoff, in an interview with Carlson, mentioned that to achieve peace, the main issues are territorial issues. He said that it’s Donbas, Luhansk, ’and two more’ regions of Ukraine plus Crimea. Supposedly, if we resolve the issue of transferring these territories to Russia, then the peace agreement will progress rapidly," said the Hero of Ukraine.

However, in his opinion, the important thing is not what other countries may propose, but Ukraine’s position, which remains unchanged.

"Ukraine will never, under any circumstances, recognize Crimea as Russian. It contradicts the Constitution, and it’s a criminal offense in general to recognize the annexation of a territory by any country," the expert noted.

Dzhemilev also added that in 2018 the US adopted a declaration that clearly stated the non-recognition of Russia’s annexation of Crimea, which is established at the state level.

"Trump and his administration come and go, but our country remains. The next US administration will undoubtedly overturn such decisions unless we liberate Crimea ourselves by then," said the Ukrainian Member of Parliament.

Furthermore, Dzhemilev drew attention to the issue of the rights of the Crimean Tatar people, emphasizing that the question of Crimea’s status should be actualized in the context of preparing for peace negotiations.

"On this topic, I have spoken several times with our president and mentioned the need to amend the Constitution, specifically chapter 10, which concerns Crimea’s status. It should recognize Crimea as an autonomous republic based on acknowledging the legitimate rights of the indigenous people of Crimea to self-determination within the Ukrainian state," he added.

According to him, the president agreed with these changes but noted that the most appropriate moment for their implementation should be chosen, since during a state of war, amendments to the Constitution are prohibited.

"The issue here is that during a state of war, making amendments to the Constitution is prohibited. However, some statement on this topic from the president would certainly be very relevant," concluded the Soviet dissident.