Crimean Tatar leader confident of Crimea’s liberation by year-end

[Kyiv Kyodo]Mustafa Dzhemilev (79), the leader of the Crimean Tatars, the indigenous people of the Crimean peninsula in southern Ukraine, which Russia annexed in 2014, accompanied President Zelensky on his visit to Saudi Arabia this month, told Kyodo News on the 26th. met alone. Regarding the Ukrainian army’s counterattack, he said, “I think one of the first goals is to destroy the Crimea bridge (connecting to the mainland of Russia),” and expressed confidence that “Crimea will be completely liberated by the end of the year.”

“In the near future, military offensives will begin,” said Djemilev. After the destruction of the bridge, he argued that if he cut off the land route between Mariupol in the southeast and Melitopol in the south, “the Russian army in Crimea will either surrender or be destroyed.”

He accused Russia of claiming Crimea as its territory and saying that there was “no room for discussion” in the peace talks, causing the peace talks to stall. He refused to negotiate with Putin and supported Mr. Zelensky in his outright resistance.

When Zelensky was elected in 2019, Dzhemilev was disappointed, saying, “What happens when a comedian becomes president?” .