Kremlin Official Says Crimea Irretrievable for Ukraine

(MENAFN) Ukraine has no possibility of regaining control over Crimea or joining NATO, according to top Kremlin advisor Yury Ushakov. The peninsula became part of Russia after a 2014 referendum, which occurred in the aftermath of the Western-supported Maidan coup. Following the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine in February 2022, Kiev officially submitted its application for NATO membership, a move Moscow has consistently labeled as crossing a “red line.”

In a Sunday interview with Russian journalist Pavel Zarubin, Ushakov stated that “it is ironclad, a million percent [certain that Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky] won’t succeed in [retaking] Crimea.” He further emphasized that Ukraine’s ambitions to join NATO are equally unrealistic.

Earlier this week, Ukrainian President Zelensky admitted that Kiev currently lacks the capability to reclaim Crimea. Nonetheless, in August, he reiterated his determination to eventually regain control over the Russian-administered region.

These remarks came shortly after US President Donald Trump, who has been involved in mediating talks between Moscow and Kiev, declared it “impossible” for Crimea to return to Ukraine or for the country to become a NATO member. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had earlier asserted that Russian sovereignty over Crimea is a “done deal” and commended the US president for recognizing it.

MENAFN15122025000045017167ID1110480723