Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during a speech in Kiiu, the capital of Ukraine, on the 3rd. Kiiwu = AP News
Ukraine has announced that it will take back Crimea, which was forcibly annexed by Russia eight years ago. It also requested prompt support from the West, saying that it needs more weapons to defend its territory.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video statement released on the 13th (local time) that “Ukrainian flags will be waving over the Crimean cities of Yalta, Sudak, Jankoy and Yeupatoriya. will do,” he said. This means that he has repeatedly expressed his refusal to reject the opinion of some in the international community that the war should end by giving up territory to Russia.
In 2014, Russia took advantage of the political turmoil in Ukraine and annexed Crimea by mobilizing military force in the name of protecting Russian citizens. President Zelensky has consistently insisted that Crimea should be returned, but this is the first time he has specified it as a military goal in this war, dpa news agency analyzed.
However, the Ukrainian army has been struggling recently in the Battle of Donbas in the East. In Severodonetsk, Luhansk Oblast, the strategic point of Donbas and the biggest battleground, they were pushed out by Russian forces and lost regarding two-thirds of their territory. President Zelensky said, “I am afraid that the number of casualties is so high,” and emphasized that “We are facing the overwhelming viciousness of the Russian army, but we have no choice but to move forward and liberate our territory.” At the same time, he repeatedly appealed to Western countries to expedite arms aid.
In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF on the same day, President Zelensky pressured the German government to be passive in providing arms. “It is true that Germany’s arms shipments are delayed compared to other neighboring countries,” he said.
Kim Pyo-hyang reporter [email protected]