Duda questioned the return of Crimea, getting in a scandal

Polish President Andrzej Duda says he doubts the de-occupation of the Crimean peninsula. According to him, the Autonomous Republic of Crimea is a "special place for historical reasons".

In particular, the Polish head of state hinted that the peninsula allegedly belongs to Russia. He said this in an interview with Kanal Zero.

The Polish president complained that if the Russian terrorist state retains control over the occupied territories, there is a high probability of new Moscow aggression in the future.

"Today, Russia is trying to win in Ukraine. If Russia retains the territories of Ukraine, it will actually be a victory for Russia, and then the likelihood of a new attack by Russia will be very high," Duda said.

He also added that he was not sure about the de-occupation of Crimea. At the same time, Duda emphasized that Ukraine will regain control of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

"I don't know if Ukraine will regain Crimea, but I believe that it will regain Donetsk and Luhansk. Crimea is a special place for historical reasons in particular. If we look at history, it has been in Russian hands for a long time," Duda said.

Ukraine's Ambassador to Poland, Vasyl Zvarych, reacted to these statements. The diplomat said on X that Crimea was and will remain Ukrainian. He also reminded the Polish president that the temporary occupation of Crimea is a war crime for which Russia will be punished.

"Crimea is Ukraine: it is and will remain Ukraine. International law is the basis. Russia's temporary occupation of Crimea is a war crime for which it will be punished. De-occupation of Crimea is our common task and obligation to the free world. We will do it without a doubt. We believe and work together," the ambassador wrote.

As a reminder, Duda believes that assistance to Ukraine should not only be continued but also strengthened. According to him, without the transfer of weapons to Kyiv, it will be difficult to deter the Russian occupiers and liberate the territories they have seized.

As previously reported, despite the plans of the country's top leadership, the Ukrainian Defense Forces failed to enter Crimea in 2023 for a number of objective reasons. Due to the difficult situation on the peninsula, our troops are somewhat behind schedule, but they are still making progress.

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