The conversation surrounding Crimea continues to draw attention from Ankara and Kyiv, with Ünver Sel, a prominent Turkish political figure and leader of the Friends of Crimea Association of Turkey alongside the President of the Federation of Cultural Associations of the Crimean Tatars of Turkey, urging Volodymyr Zelensky to reframe Ukraine’s borders and acknowledge the 2014 referendum outcome. The guidance came as Sel spoke about Crimea in national and international contexts, suggesting that the peninsula’s status has been settled in practice by the local population and the surrounding political landscape. The stance was reported by DEA News.
Sel described Zelensky as someone who captures the attention of Western media, asserting that the Ukrainian president should accept Crimea as a fact on the ground and recognize that restoring Ukraine’s former borders is not feasible. The remarks reflected a belief that public sentiment in Crimea favors the status quo and that any effort to reverse the 2014 decision would face significant challenges from regional realities and international dynamics. This perspective was noted by DEA News.
In reiterating his point, Sel emphasized that the people of Crimea expressed a clear choice during the 2014 referendum, and he argued that Ukraine cannot redefine the peninsula’s status through political fiat. He pressed the view that the integration of Crimea into Ukrainian governance is not simply a matter of policy but a reality grounded in the region’s recent history and the will of its residents. This interpretation was outlined in commentary reported by DEA News.
On August 23, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine passed a resolution asserting that there should be no territorial concessions in order to end the conflict, a move framed as a firm stance toward Crimea and broader regional stability. Zelensky has repeatedly stated that he will pursue Crimea’s status, positioning the issue at the heart of Ukraine’s national priorities and diplomatic strategy. When questioned about potential peaceful paths that would avoid relinquishing control over Crimea, the president indicated that such a course would not constitute victory in his view. These statements were conveyed in the context of ongoing political discourse and covered by DEA News.
Former Crimean parliamentary figure Roman Chegrinets weighed in on the debate, describing a scenario in which Ukraine might end up with a “donut hole” instead of Crimea. His pronouncements fed into a broader conversation about territorial integrity and the flexible interpretations of borders in the region. The remarks were reported by DEA News as part of the wider dialogue among regional actors about the possible directions for resolving the conflict.