The representative body of the Crimean Tatar people has vowed to oppose any international recognition of Russia's anexation of the Crimean Peninsula. The Tatar Mejlis [12], now sitting in exile in Kyiv, said Apri 22 that any move to recognize Crimea as Russian territory would violate international law. Refat Chubarov, the body's chairman, asserted in a statement: "Crimea is the homeland of the indigenous Crimean Tatar people and an integral part of Ukraine. Accordingly, no one can decide the fate of Crimea under any circumstances, except for the Ukrainian state and the Crimean Tatar people."
The statement comes amid reports [13] that the Trump White House is pressuring Kyiv to accept a peace formula that includes formal US recognition of Russian sovereignty over Crimea, as well as ruling out NATO membership for Ukraine.
Historically the majority on the peninsula prior to Imperial Russia's conquest [15] in 1783, Tatars now make up 15% of the Crimean population. The Mejlis, whose autonomous powers had been recognized by Ukraine, has been exied to Kyiv since Russia seized [16] the peninsula in 2014. (TVP World [17])
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky responded to the US demands by stressing that he has no power to give up Crimea: "There's nothing to talk about here. This is against our constitution." Article 2 of Ukraine's 1996 constitution [18] states that the country's sovereignty "extends throughout its entire territory," which "within its present border is indivisible and inviolable." (BBC News [19]) On Twitter [20], Zelensky posted the Crimea Declaration [21] issued by the US in July 2018, in which then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wrote: "Russia, through its 2014 invasion of Ukraine and its attempted annexation of Crimea, sought to undermine a bedrock international principle shared by democratic states: that no country can change the borders of another by force." (Kyiv Independent [22])
President Donald Trump immediately replied on TruthSocial [23], saying a deal to end the war was "very close," but that Zelensky's refusal to accept US terms "will do nothing but prolong" the conflict. (BBC News [24])
The spatting comes as the United States has threatened to end its involvement in the peace negotiations if progress is not seen within days. "If it is not possible to end the war in Ukraine, we need to move on," Secretary of State Marco Rubio told [25] reporters in Paris, following meetings with European leaders last week. "We need to determine very quickly now…whether or not this is doable," he added. Rubio's veiled ultimatum came despite reported progress [26] on a US-Ukraine minerals deal [27].
Trump repeatedly claimed [28] on the campaign trail that he would end the more than three-year-old war in "one day," but has been frustrated in those ambitions since returning to office. Trump has broken [29] with established US policy by refusing to blame Russia for the war. He has also questioned whether the US should be providing Ukraine with billions of dollars in military and financial support, openly using the aid as leverage [30] to exert political pressure on Kyiv.
The current pessimistic tone follows a string [31] of Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities that have caused civilian casualties. The deadliest [32] took place April 13 in the northeastern city of Sumy, where 35 people were killed on Palm Sunday. Russia claimed [33] it was targeting a gathering of senior military officers, but provided no supporting evidence. (TNH [34])
Russia pounded Kyiv the night of April 23 in one of its largest attacks on the Ukrainian capital since last summer. Twelve people were killed and more than 90 others injured, according to local authorities. The attack prompted President Zelensky to cut short a trip to South Africa—and Trump to deliver a rare rebuke to Russian President Vladimir Putin on TruthSocial [35], writing: "I am not happy with the Russian strikes on Kyiv. Vladimir, stop, and let's get the peace deal done." But when asked by a reporter what concessions Russia has offered in negotiations, Trump replied: "Stopping the war, stopping from taking the whole country. Pretty big concession." (NewsHour [36], PRI [37], The Hill [38])
Russia is facing war crimes accusations [39] before multiple bodies.
