Ukraine Offers Separate Agreement on Russian-Occupied Crimea
The agreement proposes to define the positions of Ukraine and Russia on the fate of the Crimean peninsula and Sevastopol and to hold talks for 15 years.
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"As far as issues like Crimea are concerned, Ukraine is no longer in a position to agree. This is also a separate clause in the agreement in which we propose to establish the positions of Ukraine and Russia. To hold bilateral talks on the status of Crimea and Sevastopol for 15 years," Podoliak said.
He added that a separate clause in the agreement proposes an agreement that Ukraine and Russia will not use military or armed forces to resolve the Crimean issue during these 15 years.
During the same briefing, the leader of the Crimean Tatar people Mustafa Dzhemilev stated that not everything is so clear. The Ukrainian concept of liberating the occupied territories "does not envisage the use of force." According to Dzhemilev, under this agreement, Russia recognizes that Crimea is an occupied territory. And according to the Geneva Convention, Ukrainian legislation should apply in the occupied territories, so the de-occupation of Crimea should become easier.
David Arahamiya stressed that Ukraine's position on Russia's occupation of Crimea has not changed. Ukraine recognizes its borders as of 1991.
Separate talks on the occupied territories of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions
Podoliak also said that the Russian-occupied territories of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions will be considered separately. The agreement offers to discuss them in the direct talks between the presidents of Ukraine and the Russian Federation.