Crimea de-occupation has no alternative - Zelensky

This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelensky during the first Iftar held at the official level with the participation of Muslim military personnel, representatives of the diplomatic corps and Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"On the land of Crimea, under the Russian tricolor, evil, humiliation, repression, murder, and war reign. But where the path of evil began, this is where we’ll see our victory, of which I’m sure – victory over this evil. The de-occupation of Crimea has no alternative – neither for Ukraine nor for the whole world. And I’m sure of that, too,” Zelensky emphasized.

He recalled that Russia's attempt to enslave Ukraine and other peoples of civilized Europe began precisely with the occupation of Crimea, the oppression of Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar freedom, as well as Crimea’s Muslims.

The head of state emphasizes that the liberation of the Crimean peninsula is necessary to ensure world order, which is based on conventions and the UN charter, not "on the criminal habits of murderers, rapists, and robbers, which Russia is trying to spread."

At the same time, the president called on all countries to respect Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.

"Just as we respect the territorial integrity of all states - from Europe to Latin America - we rightly expect respect for the territorial integrity of our state - throughout Ukraine, from Polissia to the coasts of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, from the northern cities to Sevastopol and Kerch. Our entire east and south, each of our communities, each of our people equally deserves to live – to live freely," Zelensky emphasized.

He explained that once Ukraine regains Crimea, peace will return to the world because then the aggressor will lose, president believes.

"Everything else can only inflame Russia's thirst for war. Let the aggressor feel that no one is allowed to break people's lives and rob peoples, no one is allowed to spread evil and ruins across the world," Zelensky said.

As reported earlier, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva offered Ukraine to cede Crimea in order to end the war with Russia.

In response, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine said Ukraine was not about selling out its territories and that Kyiv saw no reason to give Russia even a centimeter of Ukrainian land.