Ukraine has to introduce new perspectives on policies in Donbas and on issue of 'return' of Crimea, first Ukraine's president (1991-1994) Leonid Kravchuk said.

"We have to introduce new perspectives on policies in Donbas and new rebooted political approaches to Crimea, if we really want Crimea to be with Ukraine. I don't mean that it to be returned to Ukraine and to become as it was used to – this is already an unreal task, but policies [regarding Crimea] should be rebooted," Kravchuk said in an interview with TV Channel Five aired on Friday night.

Kravchuk has said he believes that Ukraine should put forward a suggestion to grant Crimea a wide state autonomy in the composition of Ukraine. "When Crimean territory has a wide state autonomy, however is a part the Ukrainian state," he added.

He explained that prior to annexation by Russia the Autonomous Republic of Crimea had no state autonomy.

"One has to be wise and suggest the ways known in the world history. I want that such an offer to be made to Russia, may be not now, maybe later, when the situation changes," Kravchuk noted.

He said that when the oil price decreases to $20 per barrel, then it will be easier to talk to Russia. "And Russia will understand, not because of desire to return Crimea or grant it another status, but because it would have already felt that Crimea couldn't live without Ukraine in a full-blooded, meaningful way," the politician said.

According to Kravchuk, one shouldn't crate illusions that life quality improvement on the mainland part of Ukraine can help return Crimea. "Social matters will never resolve the Crimean problem, the latter is a political matter […] not only of Ukraine, but of Ukraine and Russia, Ukraine and the world," Kravchuk said.