14:11 08.08.2017

Return of Crimea under Kyiv's control should not be considered separately from Donbas de-occupation – Chubarov

2 min read
Return of Crimea under Kyiv's control should not be considered separately from Donbas de-occupation – Chubarov

The return of Crimea under the control of the Ukrainian authorities should not be considered separately from the return of Donbas, Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, President of the World Crimean Tatar Congress, MP Refat Chubarov has said.

"Crimea is not just a territory, and Crimea is not just people who live there. Crimea is the native land of the indigenous people of Ukraine [Crimean Tatars, Karaites and inhabitants of Crimea]. If we put it away now, as you say, for a long shot [the return of Crimea under the sovereignty of Ukraine], then Russia will do everything to eliminate this indigenous people," Chubarov said at a press conference in Kyiv on Tuesday, commenting on the statements of German politicians regarding the issue of Crimea's return to Ukraine's sovereignty implying it should be solved after the solution of Donbas problem.

Chubarov said that the Ukrainian state can not allow indigenous peoples to be destroyed on its territory. "Therefore, Crimea and the territory that we do control in eastern Ukraine - Crimea and Donbas should be in the same row, and we should simultaneously consider these issues," the chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people said.

As reported, on August 6, leader of the Free Democratic Party of Germany (FDP) Christian Lindner said that Europe should temporarily abandon attempts to achieve a solution to the issue of the status of Crimea and try to improve relations with Moscow. We must find a way out of the impasse, he said in an interview with the media group Funke, adding that the issue of Crimea should be treated as "a long-term temporary situation, at least for the time being."

In turn, the German policy coordinator for Russia, Gernot Erler, commenting on the statements of Lindner, agreed that first it is necessary to put an end to the bloodshed in Donbas, and then raise the issue of Crimea.

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