The issue of recognizing the Crimean Tatar national-territorial autonomy should be considered and elaborated in the framework of the Crimea Platform initiative. This was stated by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy in an interview for Ukrainian journalists from Crimea, which was recorded on Zmiyinyy Island during the working trip of the Head of State.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that this issue has been raised before, and there is already some progress. However, according to him, the prepared projects were not agreed with either the Office of the President or the Crimean Tatar community.
"This is a very important step that the Crimea Platform should deal with: to study this legislation and propose to the President of Ukraine a bill already agreed with the indigenous population of Crimea," the President said.
The President also spoke about the work on the release of more than a hundred Ukrainian political prisoners detained in the occupied Crimea, most of whom are Crimean Tatars. He noted that thanks to the work of the Ukrainian ombudsman, lists for the mutual release of detainees have been formed, but talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin are needed to achieve progress in this issue.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that Russia links the issue of political prisoners from Crimea with the occupation of the peninsula, which it does not recognize.
"They are not political prisoners for them… We can talk about the exchange, and we talk, and we prepared the lists. But they separate the lists of those who are in ORDLO and the lists of our boys and girls in Crimea or in Russia," he said.
"Today, apart from direct talks with the President of Russia on Crimean prisoners, I see no other way out," the Head of State stressed, adding that during all his meetings with world leaders he always raises the issue of Crimean prisoners.
"Today, the President of the Russian Federation can easily return our prisoners to us, even if he does not believe that they are political prisoners. We are ready for exchanges and any steps to bring back our Crimeans," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
The Head of State is convinced that at the moment it is more difficult to return the territory of Crimea to the control of the Ukrainian authorities than to "conquer the minds" of the inhabitants of the peninsula.
"I don't think the situation with a mental return is very difficult. Because it seems to me that they now understand what happened. That there were three million Ukrainians who came every year. And now the Crimeans saw what would happen without Ukraine. Now Crimea is without Ukraine. People always want change and see something good in the future. Therefore, I am sure that no mental changes will have to be made - they will gladly accept the Ukrainian government in Crimea. Even those who still have the "October badge" in their soul will be happy. Because life will return to Crimea with Ukraine," Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed.