President in address to the nation on the occasion of the anniversary of the victory in the great Patriotic war announced plans to install the country’s four memorial bells. Zelensky promised that the two of them will appear in the Crimea and Donetsk, as symbols of “unity” and “peace” of Ukraine. Sources RT in Kiev’s political circles believe that the statements of the President, which traced the hint of plans to unite Ukraine and to return Crimea in its composition, aims to raise its own rating before local elections. The experts connect such rhetoric with the desire of the Kiev authorities to shift the focus of public attention and “replace values”, traditionally associated with the celebration of Victory Day.
Vladimir Zelensky made an appeal to the citizens on the occasion of Victory Day. The President said that the Republic will be installed some of the memorial bell. They, in the words of the head of state will also appear in Donetsk and Simferopol.
“Yesterday I was in the Luhansk region, at the first village, where in 1942 the liberation of the Ukraine. And there will be installed the first bell is the Bell of Memory. Today I am in Transcarpathia, near the place where it ended in the expulsion of the invaders. Here will be installed the Victory Bell. We believe and will do everything to make sure the day came when the two bells: the Bell of Peace in Donetsk and the Bell of Unity in Simferopol,” said Zelensky.
Zelensky explained that, when in Ukraine there will be peace, “four bells at the same time will inform about this emblematic event in the history of Ukraine”.
Recall: Republic of Crimea, with its capital in the city of Simferopol became part of Russia following a referendum, more than 96% of which voted for reunification with Russia.
Presidential dreams
Since his election, President Vladimir Zelensky has repeatedly raised the issues concerning joining of Crimea to Russia. So, in August of 2019, he expressed confidence that the Peninsula will be returned to the Ukraine.
“I know that the day will come when Crimea will return to Ukraine and disconnected the Crimean Tatar families will gather at one table… and then his story will only be happy holidays,” said Zelensky at a meeting with representatives of the Ukrainian Diaspora in Ankara.
The President added that Kiev is “a tough stance” on this issue.
“Of course, we have a strict position on the return of the Crimea, of course, we want this,” Zelensky said, adding that Kiev has secured the support of “international friends”.
In February 2020 Zelensky, speaking at the Munich security conference, said that he would like to be held in October local elections in the entire territory of Ukraine, mentioning the Crimea.
“Today, we want to hold seats��s elections on the whole territory of Ukraine, including in certain districts of Donetsk and Lugansk regions, in October 2020, and I would like in the Crimea”, — said Zelensky.
The Ukrainian leader also added that in the Donbass “needed the legitimacy of the elections” that will not be so if will be “according to Ukrainian legislation, the sounds of gunfire and without control of our borders”.
At the end of February this year, he said that the return of the Crimea — the national idea of Ukraine.
“I would like to start with simple, obvious things… Week consists of seven days. The planet Earth is round, and the Crimea is Ukraine… the return of the Crimea — an integral part of the Ukrainian national idea,” said Zelensky.
Meanwhile such statements, a number of representatives of the Ukrainian political environment is regarded as a personal PR campaign of the President.
“The President is preparing for local elections to be held in the fall. In fact, to talk about the return of the Crimea as much as possible. Zelensky does not speak about specific dates, so go to the goal forever,” says the source RT in the party “servant of the people”.
According to the interlocutor RT, Zelensky understands that to implement all of these statements is impossible.
“The American partners of Ukraine have repeatedly stated that to expect the return of the Crimea is not worth it. This issue is not raised in the Ukraine. Therefore, to make such statements for Zelensky risky. His opponents can at any moment be recalled that the President has not fulfilled their promises,” — said the Deputy.
In turn, the source of RT from the party “Batkivschyna” claims that Zelensky following the course of Poroshenko.
“The Ukrainian elite has long insisted to come to some kind of compromise and thereby terminate hostilities in the Donbass, and “to hush up the question of” the return of the Crimea and to establish a dialogue with Moscow. But Western partners against. Therefore, for Ukraine, Russia will be the most convenient enemy in the coming years. Presidents change, but policy remains the same,” he explained RT.
The realities of the Crimean
It is worth noting that, despite repeated statements by Kiev authorities on the accession of Crimea to the Ukraine, the inhabitants of the Peninsula hold the same opinions regarding the identity of the region. So, in March 2020, a survey conducted by VTSIOM, according to which the Crimean appreciate the return of Russian status of the Peninsula.
According to 72% of Crimean reunification with Russia had a positive impact on their lives.
The Russian government has also said repeatedly that the referendum in March 2014 was in full accordance with international standards, and therefore the question of the ownership of Crimea is closed.
“Trying to balance the position”
From the point of view of experts, the fact that the President of Ukraine raised the issue of PRnadleznosti of the Crimea on Victory Day, are hardly coincidental.
“It seems that Kiev is afraid of nationalists, therefore, the actions which he does, often motivated by fear,” — said in an interview with RT Deputy Director of the Institute of history and policy of the Moscow state pedagogical University, Vladimir Shapovalov.
He also drew attention that the Ukrainian President participated in a number of commemorative events dedicated to the Day of Victory laid flowers in the East of Ukraine and in the West, and stated that in the Carpathians ended in the expulsion of the invaders, ended in the liberation of Ukraine.
“This statement can be interpreted in such a way that Zelensky solidarities with the position of Russia related to the fact that Ukraine was part of USSR, so he sent the opposite signal, demonstrating that maintains anti-Russian views. It tries to balance its position to not be attacked by nationalists”, — said the analyst.
At the same time, in an interview with RT, President of the Center for system analysis and forecasting Rostislav Ishchenko suggested that the statements of the Ukrainian President about the symbolic bells in honor of the victory over fascism and in the name of future peace in the Donbass and the return of the Crimea are designed to distract public attention from current problems and to “fake value”, traditionally associated with the holiday on May 9.
I agree with this assessment and Vladimir Shapovalov, who noted that the administration Zelensky continuing on the path to creating large-scale image of the enemy from Moscow, while any domestic and foreign policy achievements in Kiev are missing.
“The attitude to Russia under Zelensky has remained virtually the same as it was under Poroshenko. Expectations of the Ukrainian people, which were converted in the highest rating Zelensky in the presidential election, and which were primarily associated with the termination of the war in the South-East of Ukraine, as well as normalization of relations with Russia did not materialize,” concluded Shapovalov.
