Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday criticised Russia‘s remedy of the Muslim Tatar group in Kremlin-controlled Crimea and vowed to recapture the peninsula from Russia throughout a primary official state iftar.
Russia wrested management of the Black Sea territory from Ukraine in 2014 and pushed via a referendum on the annexation that was condemned as fraudulent and illegitimate by Ukraine and its Western allies.
“Russia’s attempt to enslave Ukraine … began exactly with the occupation of Crimea, exactly with repressions against Crimean, Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar freedom and of Crimean Muslims,” he informed Ukrainian Muslim leaders and ambassadors from Muslim nations.
The Tatar group, which accounted for 12-15 % of the 2 million Crimea residents, largely boycotted the 2014 vote.
Moscow then banned the Mejlis — the standard meeting of the Tatar Muslim minority in Crimea — declaring it an extremist organisation and has jailed members of the group since, citing safety issues.
“There is no alternative for Ukraine, or for the world, other than the de-occupation of Crimea. We will return to Crimea,” Zelensky stated, earlier than handing out awards to a number of Muslim Ukrainian servicemen.
Zelensky, talking at a mosque outdoors the centre of the capital, introduced that Ukraine was starting a brand new custom of internet hosting an official iftar, the meal breaking the every day quick in the course of 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.
Several Muslim-majority nations, together with Türkiye and Saudi Arabia, have positioned themselves as mediators within the battle in Ukraine, brokering agreements between Kyiv and Moscow on grain exports or prisoner exchanges.
Source: www.anews.com.tr
