On April 25 local time, when responding to the remarks that Crimea should belong to Russia, the leader of Ukraine emphasized that Ukraine's stance remains unchanged. Only the Ukrainian people have the right to decide which territories belong to Ukraine. Ukraine will never legally recognize any temporarily occupied territories as part of Russia.
The leader of Ukraine stated that during a previous meeting in London, his side responded to a proposal from the other country and put forward an idea for Ukraine's security guarantees, similar to Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which is the collective defense clause. He said that the corresponding suggestions have been made, and Ukraine is waiting for a reply.
The leader of Ukraine also said that whether Ukraine joins a certain alliance does not depend on the will of Russia. If Ukraine does not join the alliance, it must obtain strong security guarantees.
A leader from the other country said in an interview that as part of a peace proposal to end the conflict, Crimea would remain with Russia, and the leader of Ukraine "understands this". Additionally, in the interview, the leader of the other country reiterated his view that the desire of Ukraine to join the alliance was the cause of the conflict with Russia. He said he believed that Ukraine would never be able to join the alliance.
Recently, the other country has repeatedly stated that it wants to "withdraw from mediation" and has frequently pressured both sides of the conflict. In particular, it has called on Ukraine to accept the so - called "peace proposal". The framework of this proposal includes Ukraine's recognition of Crimea's归属 to Russia and Ukraine's non - membership in the alliance.
