Decision to end war without de-occupation of Crimea to weaken international law – expert

This assessment was expressed in a comment to Ukrinform by journalist, writer, and author of the book Crimean Fire: Anatomy of an Occupation, Gönül Şamilkızı, who witnessed the events on the Crimean peninsula in 2014.

“Until the occupation of Crimea is ended, it will be impossible to ensure international law. Therefore, to restore and reaffirm international law, it is necessary to liberate Crimea,” Şamilkızı said.

The expert emphasized that international law cannot be applied selectively; it must either be applied in its entirety or cease to be law.

"Everything that is voiced in various forms as ‘we will find interim formulas’, ‘we will take control’, ‘we will monitor, observe, track’ is nothing more than fiction. A compromise without Crimea does not resolve the conflict; it only postpones new wars," she stressed.

In her opinion, attempts to “freeze” the Crimean issue or remove it from the negotiation process are not a solution to the problem, but self-deception.

“In 2014, the occupation of Ukraine began precisely with Crimea. That is, this problem began with Crimea, continues with Crimea, and its solution is possible only by ending the occupation of Crimea,” Şamilkızı added.

According to her, tolerating the annexation of Crimea weakens international security mechanisms and gives the Kremlin a sense of impunity.

"That is, if the occupation of Crimea is not stopped, if Crimea does not return to Ukraine, it will mean that international law will remain crippled. And this will encourage Russia to commit new crimes and further occupations. If this had concerned only Crimea, everything would have remained as it was in 2014. But we are talking about Russia, which continues its aggression and claims a significant part of Ukraine's territory," she concluded.

As reported by Ukrinform, in March this year, a book about the events of 2013-14 during Russia's occupation of the Crimean peninsula, Kırım Ateşi: Bir İşgalin Anatomisi (Crimean Fire: Anatomy of an Occupation), written by journalist and eyewitness Gönül Şamilkızı, was presented in Ankara.