{"id":1324991,"date":"2025-11-25T11:21:12","date_gmt":"2025-11-25T09:21:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/prm.ua\/crimea-in-the-focus-of-the-geneva-talks-why-compromises-regarding-the-peninsula-are-not-acceptable-to-ukraine\/"},"modified":"2025-11-26T07:51:27","modified_gmt":"2025-11-26T05:51:27","slug":"crimea-in-the-focus-of-the-geneva-talks-why-compromises-regarding-the-peninsula-are-not-acceptable-to-ukraine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/prm.ua\/en\/crimea-in-the-focus-of-the-geneva-talks-why-compromises-regarding-the-peninsula-are-not-acceptable-to-ukraine\/","title":{"rendered":"Crimea for Sale? Why Ukraine Won\u2019t Let the Geneva Talks Turn Into a Bargaining Table"},"content":{"rendered":"

Speaking at the opening of the Crimean Platform parliamentary summit in Sweden, Verhovna Rada Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk said Kyiv is prepared for \u201cmeaningful negotiations\u201d to end the war \u2014 but not at the expense of Ukraine\u2019s sovereignty or the status of Crimea.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

At the same time, Stefanchuk stressed that Ukraine has clear \u201cred lines\u201d that \u201cno one has the right to cross \u2014 neither physically, nor legally, nor morally.\u201d<\/p>\n

He reminded that during the meeting between U.S. and Ukrainian representatives in Geneva, the parties prepared an updated framework document for peace. They also agreed that any future agreement must fully respect Ukraine\u2019s sovereignty.<\/p>\n

The parties will continue working on the proposals in the coming days and plan to maintain close contact with European partners.<\/p>\n

European leaders, in turn, have made it clear they reject U.S. ideas that imply any division of territory. Under those ideas, Ukraine would be expected to give up strategically vital areas \u2014 including Donbas and Crimea \u2014 to Russia.<\/p>\n

However, the situation around Crimea extends far beyond the military sphere. For the Kremlin, the peninsula serves as an ideological anchor, a foreign-policy lever, and a tool of information control. Putin wants to be remembered as a \u201cgatherer of lands\u201d \u2014 the leader who \u201cbrought Crimea back.\u201d For this reason, economic considerations no longer play any real role; symbolism and control are what matter.<\/p>\n

It is worth noting that, for the Russian Federation, Crimea is above all a military stronghold in the Black Sea region.<\/p>\n

The occupying country has built dozens of defensive fortifications in annexed Crimea in recent years, turning the peninsula into “one of the most fortified” territories. Trenches tens of kilometers long have been dug even on the beaches of Crimea.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The naval component of Russia\u2019s presence in Crimea has been significantly weakened: many Black Sea Fleet ships have been destroyed, and Russian control at sea has dropped to a historic low. British intelligence assessments indicate that the fleet has nearly lost its combat capability and strategic significance.<\/p>\n

However, the land component remains extensive, particularly in the form of military airfields. These installations enable Russia to support its occupation forces in the Kherson and Zaporizhia regions.<\/p>\n

For the Russian Federation, Crimea also serves to secure Russia\u2019s ongoing political presence and exert control over the Black Sea region, enabling Moscow to influence the security environment of Ukraine, Turkey, Bulgaria, and Romania.<\/p>\n

Crimea holds importance for Turkey as well, which has historically viewed the Black Sea as part of its sphere of influence. Ankara pursues a policy of soft power and regards Crimea as part of its historical and geopolitical presence in the region.<\/p>\n

For Ukraine, Crimea was a geopolitically significant territory even before the occupation. Its port infrastructure, shipbuilding facilities, and strategic installations made Kyiv one of the key players in the Black Sea region. Today, the loss of Crimea means losing control over part of the maritime zone and restricted access to vital sea routes.<\/p>\n

Following the occupation of Crimea, Russia gained a military platform for operations in southern Ukraine. On February 24, 2022, the peninsula became the main base for Russian forces launching a full-scale offensive. Crimea is now used as a key deployment point for troops, including air, naval, and artillery units. In particular, the Russian Black Sea Fleet, based in Sevastopol, enables Moscow to control the Black Sea and exert influence over regional shipping.<\/p>\n

Crimea has also become a critical transport hub for the movement of Russian troops and equipment. Through the Crimean Bridge, which links the peninsula to Russia, Moscow has been able to steadily supply weapons, ammunition, food, and other resources to its forces operating in southern Ukraine, particularly in the Kherson, Zaporizhia, and Donetsk regions.<\/p>\n

But it is worth noting that, from a military perspective, Crimea is easier to liberate than Donbas.<\/p>\n

According to Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine\u2019s Defense Intelligence, recapturing Crimea is significantly more feasible than retaking Donbas, where the frontline stretches more than 1,000 kilometers with a depth of over 200 kilometers. \u201cThere are only two points of entry to Crimea \u2014 from the Russian side and from ours: the Crimean Bridge and the land isthmus,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n

In his view, the key to retaking the peninsula lies in frontline operations: from the Russian side, by destroying communications; from the Ukrainian side, by sustained pressure. \u201cAnd then that\u2019s it \u2014 Crimea is isolated,\u201d Budanov said with confidence.<\/p>\n

It is said that the Russian armed forces located on the occupied peninsula are very dependent on logistics. And the logistics of the occupation army are the Chongar Isthmus and the Kerch Bridge. That is, two components that are actually under the fire control of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Cutting off Crimea from its logistics would effectively turn the peninsula into an island. Russia would face severe problems with electricity, water, and supplies, not least due to the corruption-plagued programs it implemented in the occupied territory. One example is the water desalination project, which cost the Russian budget around 48 billion rubles. Officially, it was declared a failure, yet the funds were spent. Another is the so-called energy bridge, which proved extremely costly even for the Russian budget and demonstrated its complete inefficiency.<\/p>\n

However, the timeline for liberating Crimea and other occupied territories depends above all on the rearmament of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the acquisition of advanced, high\u2011tech weapons. The logic is straightforward: only when Ukraine has enough strike systems \u2014 and, crucially, weapons that outperform Russian models in their tactical and technical characteristics \u2014 will it be possible to begin planning operations to reclaim the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.<\/p>\n

I must state that the Russian leadership views diplomacy as a process of unilateral concessions in their favor, particularly expecting recognition of the occupation of Donbas and Crimea.<\/p>\n

In my view, compromises over Crimea are impossible. This is a red line not only for Ukraine but also for our partners.<\/p>\n

During a joint press conference with the Speaker of the Swedish Riksdag, Andreas Norl\u00e9n, Verkhovna Rada Chairman Ruslan Stefanchuk emphasized that the war will only end when Crimea is returned to Ukraine.<\/p>\n

It is noteworthy that following the Geneva talks, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated that certain adjustments would be made to the American side\u2019s \u201cpeace proposals.\u201d<\/p>\n

Also, follow \u201cPryamyi\u201d<\/strong> on Facebook<\/a>, Twitter<\/a>, Telegram<\/a>, and Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Materials published in the \u201cOPINIONS\u201d section reflect the opinion of the author of the publication, who bears full responsibility for the accuracy of the information.<\/em><\/span>
\n\u2022 The editorial staff of prm.ua may not share the opinions expressed in the author’s material.<\/em><\/span>
\n\u2022 The owner of the webpage in the \u201cOPINIONS\u201d section is the author of the publication.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Speaking at the opening of the Crimean Platform parliamentary summit in Sweden, Verhovna Rada Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk said Kyiv is prepared for \u201cmeaningful negotiations\u201d to end the war \u2014 but not at the expense of Ukraine\u2019s sovereignty or the status of Crimea.\u00a0\u00a0 At the same time, Stefanchuk stressed that Ukraine has clear \u201cred lines\u201d that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":65,"featured_media":1324985,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[76872,76885,76893,76871],"class_list":["post-1324991","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-feed","category-policy","category-thoughts","category-news-2"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/prm.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1324991","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/prm.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/prm.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prm.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/65"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prm.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1324991"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/prm.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1324991\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1325378,"href":"https:\/\/prm.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1324991\/revisions\/1325378"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prm.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1324985"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/prm.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1324991"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prm.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1324991"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}