Trump's comments on Crimea spark outrage among Ukrainians
Crimea will stay with Russia, stated US President Donald Trump in an interview published on Friday. "I get very anxious when I hear Trump," comments Eliza, a Ukrainian living in Lublin, Poland, in a conversation with WP. Like other ordinary Ukrainians, she believes that the return of the peninsula is too high a price for the deaths of Ukrainian soldiers.
Crimea became part of independent Ukraine in 1991 with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. In 2014, with the help of "little green men," meaning Russian military forces whom Russia initially denied any connection to, power in Crimea was taken over by separatists. A so-called referendum was quickly organised, and then Vladimir Putin announced the annexation of Crimea by Russia.
The forceful takeover of the peninsula apparently does not bother Donald Trump, who in a Friday published interview with "Time" stated outright that Crimea will remain with Russia.
This position confirms plans disclosed by the media for a US peace proposal, according to which Crimea would be recognised by Americans as part of Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected the possibility of legally recognising the occupation of Crimea, but in response, he heard from Trump that this stance is very harmful to peace negotiations.
Ordinary Ukrainians on Crimea
As the media cites Donald Trump's words on Friday before the General Consulate of Ukraine in Lublin, I ask ordinary Ukrainians what they think about Crimea.
An older couple is not very keen on talking about politics because, as they say, they don't understand Polish well. But when they hear that I'm asking about Crimea, they give a brief response.
"To give Crimea? That's not a good idea," says the man. "Our people lived there too. And where will they go now? And those killed, what about them?" asks his wife.
This response is the most common. My interlocutors believe that the sacrifice made by the defenders of their homeland, who died on the front lines, must not be in vain now.
"This medal has two sides. We want the war to end, but not at this price. Why did those boys die? Many of my acquaintances died. They went to fight for their land," says 33-year-old Nadia, who came to the Lublin consulate with two small children. "I've been living in Poland for 10 years now. I have family here. But in my opinion, Crimea is Ukrainian. Trump goes too far; he wants our land everywhere," the woman adds.
Another Ukrainian admits that she becomes angry when she listens to Donald Trump.
"I get very anxious when I hear Trump. I'm sad because no one knows what war is until they've been there. Rockets are constantly flying, and people are dying in Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Kyiv, everywhere. Someone promises silence on the front, but that silence is not kept," says an upset Eliza. "But it's a bit funny because one wanted to take Ukraine in 24 hours, and the other wanted to end the war in 24 hours, and nothing came of it. I think Trump is not a good politician; he is a very good businessman. In this war, it's all about money for him," she adds.
She also emphasises the dedication with which Ukrainian soldiers fight on the front lines.
"Since 2014, so many of our soldiers have died. It's not easy to give up Crimea now. It's like if I came to your house and said that now this is my home. Please take your things now because I want it this way," Eliza says figuratively.
Others point out that giving up Ukrainian land will not stop Russia. "Peace is the most important thing, yes. But today we give up Crimea, tomorrow we give up Zaporizhzhia, and so on. Putin will not stop, you understand?" objects another man I meet at the consulate.
Among my interlocutors, there was only one person who did not explicitly say what should be done with Crimea.
"It's a difficult question. On one hand, people are dying, but on the other hand, if we give up Crimea, Russia might start a war again in a few years. I can't give a definite answer," says Yaroslav. After a moment, he adds: "In 2014, it was the same when Russia occupied the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Eight years have passed, and Putin started a war again."
"The cession of Crimea would be against Ukraine's constitution," believes Denys, a student from Ukraine studying in Lublin.
He also presents a historical example when a totalitarian regime was seizing more countries. "Let's look at what happened during World War II. Austria was given to Hitler, then Czechoslovakia, and finally, he attacked Poland. Did he stop taking more countries? No. He only stopped when someone opposed him," he adds.
