Zelensky "will get the cream back"... a declaration of counterattack against Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has officially declared that he will recapture the Crimean Peninsula, which was forcibly annexed by Russia eight years ago. Since the start of the war in Ukraine in February this year, the focus has been on defending Russia's invasion so far, he said, expressing his intention to actively launch attacks to restore the territory in the future. In fact, analysts say that it is a declaration of expansion of war that extends the war to areas where Russia actually controls it.

"We need to win against Russian aggression to overcome fear and regain security in our region, Europe and the world," Zelensky said in his opening speech on the 23rd to discuss the return of the Crimean Peninsula. The cream platform is a top-level international conference led by Ukraine to secure international support for the return of the Crimean Peninsula.

"We will do everything we think is right without consulting other countries," Zelensky said at a press conference after the meeting. "Ukraine will not agree to freeze the front to calm Russia."

Ukraine is launching an offensive against Crimea this month. According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), a Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle (drone) hit a Russian naval base in the Crimea on the 20th. On the 9th, an explosion at the Saki military airfield in Crimea destroyed nine Russian military aircraft, and on the 16th, a fire broke out in a temporary ammunition depot, leading to the suspected background of Ukraine.

Ukraine did not make an official position on whether to attack, but some analysts say it admitted that Zelensky's declaration of recapture of the Crimean Peninsula was actually behind the attack. Ukrainian Defense Minister Olexi Reznikow said in a CNN interview that "We are currently in the stage of stabilizing all the battlefields and wires. We have now entered a new stage of the war of counterattacks." The WSJ analyzed, "If the air defense network in Crimea continues to not function properly, the Russian Black Sea Fleet is also at risk," adding, "If Ukrainian drone attacks continue, the Crimea may be restored."

Russia forcibly annexed Crimea, a strategic point of the Black Sea, in 2014. Under international law, it is still Ukrainian territory, but Russia has stationed the Black Sea Fleet in Crimea. After the invasion of Ukraine, it was used as a military base for Russian troops. Crimea is an area where Russia values strategic values so highly that Russian President Vladimir Putin said, "It is like a holy place in Russia" when it was merged in 2014.

While Ukraine officially recaptured the Crimean Peninsula, Western countries began to provide additional support. The Associated Press reported that the U.S. plans to announce additional weapons aid of $3 billion (about 4 trillion won) on the 24th, Ukraine's Independence Day. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson also said in a video speech on the Crimean platform, "We will never acknowledge Russia's annexation of Ukrainian territory, including Crimea," adding, "We will provide all military and economic support that Ukraine needs."

The U.S. government recommended evacuation to Americans staying in Ukraine on the same day, believing that there is a high possibility of expansion starting from Ukraine's Independence Day. The U.S. Embassy in Ukraine said, "The U.S. State Department has information that Russia will accelerate the impact of Ukraine's civilian infrastructure and government facilities in the next few days."

Date: 2022-08-25

Reporter: 정새울