Search results

Mustafa Dzhemilev was one of the most famous dissidents of the Soviet era. His fight was for the right of his people, the Crimean Tatars, to return and live in the peninsula from which they had been massively expelled to Central Asia by Stalin in 1944, under the pretext that some of them had collaborated with the Nazi occupiers. His obstinate militancy got him years in the gulag. His efforts finally paid off in the late 1980s, however, when some 250,000 Tatars returned to Crimea, led by Mr. Dzhemilev. He became Chairman of the Mejlis (Parliament) of the Crimean Tatar People and tirelessly defended their cultural and political rights during the subsequent 20 years when the peninsula belonged to Ukraine. In February 2014 the Russian invasion forced him to flee his native land. In this exclusive interview, the Tatar leader, now in his 70s, is as pugnacious as ever, virulently denouncing the Kremlin's policy and swearing that sooner or later Crimea will again be Ukrainian. Adapted from the source document.

An interview with Andriy Parubiy, Secretary of the National Security Council and Defense of Ukraine since 2014. This is not a war in the true sense. It's a hybrid war. Most of our military experts agree to describe as a conflict of a new kind. The army plays a role in prevention and seeks above all to intimidate insurgents. These are composed of foreign professionals - entered our territory to destabilize the country and encourage projects that Russia has for Ukraine - and extremists of eastern Ukraine who speculate on the frustrations of the local populations. This hybrid war is supported upstream by a huge media machine who practice a constant disinformation. Finally, one of the key elements is the use of civilians as human shields. This practice is a crucial problem in the conduct of our operations. Be aware: we have to fight against snipers hidden in residential buildings and do not hesitate to throw grenades at kindergartens! To best manage this very complicated situation, we now undertake a thorough reform of the Ukrainian security forces - army, police, national guard - both tactically and strategically. Adapted from the source document.

We welcomed with great enthusiasm the announcement of the signing of the decree 'On the recognition of the republic of Crimea' and, more generally, all that Vladimir Putin made to integrate two new topics - and the Crimea the city of Sebastopol - has the Russian Federation. The return of the Crimea to Russia is a fair decision based on the will of the people of Crimea and all Russians. The right of peoples to self-determination should be a fundamental principle of international relations. This right must be respected if we wish to establish a just world order and on. And that's exactly what just happened in the Crimea. In this tense period, we must welcome the assistance that the Russian Federation has made to the people who wanted to join. On the territory of the peninsula, its action was decisive in ensuring peace and stability and to prevent any escalation of violence. Adapted from the source document.