Zelenskyy Vows to Restore Crimea, Thanks Muslim Servicemen

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy promised to recapture the Crimea peninsula from Russia.

Zelenskyy said: “There is no alternative for Ukraine, or for the world, other than the de-occupation of Crimea. We will return to Crimea.”

His remarks came during a first official state iftar at a mosque outside the center of Kyiv on Friday.

In first for Ukraine, Zelenskyy takes part in Muslim Iftar, announcing new official tradition

It united Muslim soldiers, together with Crimean Tatar Medzhlis & Muslim representatives and will be now a tradition in Ukrainehttps://t.co/oZYU39ykLY pic.twitter.com/uvL6e1aY0Y

— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) April 8, 2023

The Ukrainian leader that Ukraine was beginning a new tradition of hosting an official iftar, the meal breaking the daily fast during the holy month of Ramadan.

"Ukraine is grateful to the Muslims of our country and to everyone in the Muslim community of the world who, like us, longs for peace and protection from evil," he added.

Zelenskyy then handed out awards to several Muslim Ukrainian servicemen.

Russia wrested control of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and pushed through a referendum on the annexation that was condemned as fraudulent and illegitimate by Ukraine and its Western allies.

The Muslim Tatar community, which equals between 12% and 15% of the two million Crimea residents, largely boycotted the 2014 vote.