When offensive is successful
Kiev can imagine negotiating over Crimea
4/6/2023 1:12 p.m
Military experts are expecting an offensive by Ukrainian troops this spring to recapture areas occupied by Russians. Now Kiev has even signaled its willingness to negotiate in the Crimea conflict – but only under one condition.
According to its own statements, the Ukrainian leadership is ready for talks with Russia about Crimea after a planned spring offensive. “If we achieve our strategic goals on the battlefield and get to the administrative borders of Crimea, we are ready to open the diplomatic side and discuss the matter,” deputy head of the presidential office in Kyiv Andriy Sybiha told the Financial times”.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had previously rejected negotiations with Moscow if Russian soldiers are still on Ukrainian territory – including the Crimean peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014. Sybiha’s comments are Kiev’s first diplomatic thrust since the ceasefire negotiations broke off a year ago, shortly after Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine began, the newspaper wrote. The uncovering of Russian war crimes in Bucha and other places ended the talks at the time.
Experts: Conquest of Crimea could lead to escalation
Military experts are expecting an offensive by Ukrainian troops this spring to recapture areas occupied by Russians. The most likely direction is an approach in the south of the country towards the coast in order to drive a wedge between the Russian troops stationed there. However, it is unclear whether the weapons supplied to Kiev by the West will be sufficient to ensure the success of such an operation.
According to Sybiha, Kiev does not rule out a military conquest of Crimea. However, Western military experts fear that this could lead to a significant escalation of the war and even provoke Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin to use nuclear weapons, since Moscow regards the strategically important peninsula as its own territory. The nuclear power had always emphasized that it would defend Crimea with all the means at its disposal.