At the same time, according to Stefanchuk, there are certain "red lines" for Ukraine that "no one has the right to cross—neither physically, nor legally, nor morally."I should remind you that at a meeting of U.S. and Ukrainian representatives in Geneva, the parties prepared an updated framework document for peace. They also agreed that any future agreement must fully respect Ukraine's sovereignty.The parties agreed to continue working on the proposals in the coming days. They also plan to maintain close contact with their European partners.In turn, European leaders stated that they disagree with the U.S. proposals regarding the division of territory. It is envisioned that Ukraine would completely cede strategically important areas, such as Donbas and Crimea, to Russia.However, the current situation around Crimea is not just about the military sphere. For the Kremlin, the peninsula is an ideological pillar, a tool of foreign policy, and an element of information dictatorship. The head of the Russian Federation is trying to go down in history as a "gatherer of lands" and create the image of a leader who "returned Crimea." That is why economic arguments have long ceased to be his main concern: the key is symbolism and control. I will note that for the Russian Federation, Crimea is, first and foremost, a military base on the Black Sea.In recent years, the occupying country has built dozens of defensive fortifications in annexed Crimea, turning the peninsula into "one of the most fortified" territories. Trenches tens of kilometers long have even been dug on the beaches of Crimea.The naval component of the Russian presence has significantly weakened—many ships of the Black Sea Fleet have been destroyed, and Russia's level of control at sea has fallen to a historic low. An assessment by British intelligence confirms: the fleet has almost lost its combat capability and strategic importance.However, the land component remains—an extensive infrastructure. In particular, military airfields. It is they that give Russia the ability to support the group of invading forces in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions. "Crimea for the Russian Federation is also an instrument of permanent political presence and control over the Black Sea region, which allows Moscow to influence the security environment of Ukraine, Turkey, Bulgaria, and Romania."Crimea is also important for Turkey, which traditionally considers the Black Sea region its zone of influence. Ankara pursues a policy of "soft power" and sees Crimea as an element of its own historical and geopolitical presence.For Ukraine, before the occupation, Crimea was a factor of geopolitical weight. The port infrastructure, shipbuilding enterprises, and strategic facilities allowed Kyiv to be one of the key players in the Black Sea region. Today, the loss of Crimea means the loss of control over part of the sea area and limited access to strategic maritime communications. The invading country, in turn, after the occupation of Crimea, gained a military platform for the offensive on the south of Ukraine. On February 24, 2022, Crimea became the main military base for the Russian forces that launched a full-scale offensive. The enemy uses the peninsula as an important point for deploying its troops, including aviation, fleet, and artillery. In particular, the Russian Black Sea Fleet is based in Sevastopol, which makes it possible to control the Black Sea and influence shipping in the region.Crimea has also become an important transport hub for moving Russian military personnel and equipment. With the help of the Crimean bridge, which connects the peninsula with Russia, the enemy freely supplied weapons, ammunition, food, and other resources to its troops operating in the south of Ukraine, particularly in the Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, and Donetsk regions.But it is worth noting that from a military point of view, liberating Crimea is easier than Donbas.According to the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate, Kyrylo Budanov, from a military perspective, retaking Crimea is much easier than Donbas, where the front is over 1,000 km long and over 200 km deep. "There are two entry points to Crimea – from the Russian side and from ours: the Crimean bridge and the land isthmus," he explained.In his opinion, the issue of retaking the peninsula involves our frontline operations: from the Russian side, by destroying communications, and from our side, by applying pressure. "And then that's it – Crimea is isolated," the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate is confident. The point is that the Russian armed forces located on the occupied peninsula are very dependent on logistics. And the logistics of the occupying army are the Chonhar isthmus and the Kerch bridge. That is, two components that are effectively under the fire control of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.It is enough to cut Crimea off from logistics—and it becomes an island. The Russians will have colossal problems with electricity, water, and supplies, because it is worth recalling the corrupt programs of the Russian government on the territory of the occupied peninsula. The water desalination program, which cost the Russian budget about 48 billion rubles. It was officially recognized as a failure, but the budget money was spent. The second program is the so-called energy bridge, which was very expensive even for the Russian budget and showed all its inefficiency."However, the timing of the liberation of Crimea and other occupied territories is primarily related to the re-equipment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the receipt of the latest models of high-tech weapons. This is a direct correlation."As soon as there are enough means of destruction and, most importantly, a sufficient quantity of weapons whose tactical and technical characteristics surpass the Russian ones, then we can talk about planning operations for the de-occupation of the territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.I must state that the Russian leadership understands diplomacy as one-sided concessions in their favor, particularly regarding the recognition of the occupation of Donbas and Crimea.In my conviction, compromises on Crimea are impossible. This is a red line not only for Ukraine but also for our partners.During a joint press conference with the Speaker of the Riksdag of the Kingdom of Sweden, Andreas Norlén, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Ruslan Stefanchuk, stressed that the war will end when Crimea is returned to Ukraine.It is noteworthy that following the talks in Geneva, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that certain changes would be made to the American "peace proposals."Specially for EspresoAbout the author. Dmytro Sniehyrov, military expert, co-chairman of the Prava Sprava public initiative.The editors do not always share the opinions expressed by the authors of the blogs.

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