Oleksiy Danilov rules out leasing Crimea to Russia and discussing Donbas autonomy

Denying the possibility of leasing Crimea to Russia and refusing to grant Donbas autonomy with UN guarantees are the main points that Oleksiy Danilov, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, made in his latest interview with the Italian newspaper La Repubblica. These statements have become relevant against the backdrop of the complicated geopolitical situation in the region.

Oleksiy Danilov argues that it is impossible to lease the Crimean peninsula to Russia because of their attempts to claim the territory. "They [the Russians] have already been our tenants: very soon they will claim to be renting," he said, emphasizing the inadmissibility of such a decision.

The NSDC Secretary also rejects the possibility of granting Donbas autonomous status under UN guarantees. He is confident that the autonomy of Crimea was already an attempt to resolve the conflict, and now such "guarantees" do not stand the test of time. "Do you remember the Budapest Memorandum? The best guarantee of territorial integrity will be the full and unconditional return of all occupied territories, including Donetsk and Luhansk, under the control of the Ukrainian authorities, the defeat of Russia, as well as a powerful army and navy," Danilov emphasized.

The official emphasized his belief in Ukraine's victory in the war, pointing out that observers often underestimate the dynamics of events on the battlefield. "This is a superficial view that does not see what is happening on the battlefield. The daily destruction of one or more Russian companies and their rear can hardly be called stable; the elimination of communication points, weapons depots and command posts of the occupiers. The Russian army would be surprised if you characterized the situation at the front as stable," Danilov explained.

The Ukrainian side insists on liberating Donbas and regaining control over Crimea, despite the current seemingly stable situation at the front. These statements by Oleksiy Danilov demonstrate Ukraine's determination to restore its territorial integrity and emphasize the indisputable goal of regaining sovereignty.