It's all about Crimea!

There is a huge amount of political debate about the status of Crimea and a solution seems pivotal to an ending of the Ukraine-Russia conflict. Zelensky insists that Crimea will always be Ukrainian and that he will NOT concede it to Russia and that is a seemingly huge problem.

But let’s step back to consider Crimea more broadly to see how foolish Zelensky is behaving!

Crimea’s status as part of Russia is historical, cultural, and geopolitical. Historically, Crimea was part of the Russian Empire from 1783, when Catherine the Great annexed it from the Ottoman Empire, until the Soviet Union’s formation. During Soviet times, it was transferred to the Ukrainian SSR in 1954 by Khrushchev, a decision many argue was administrative and symbolic, as both Ukraine and Russia were Soviet republics under Moscow’s control. This transfer lacked significant local input and did not alter Crimea’s Russian cultural identity.

Culturally, Crimea is predominantly Russian. Most of its population speaks Russian as their first language, and ethnic Russians have consistently formed the largest demographic group, especially in Sevastopol, home to Russia’s Black Sea Fleet. The fleet, stationed there since the 18th century, underscores Crimea’s strategic importance to Russia’s naval power and regional influence. The 1997 Partition Treaty between Russia and Ukraine reaffirmed Russia’s right to maintain its fleet in Sevastopol, highlighting Crimea’s unique status even within Ukraine.

Geopolitically, Crimea’s return to Russia in 2014 followed a referendum where 97% of voters supported reunification! This came after the CIA inspired Ukrainian 2014 Euromaidan protests, which ousted President Yanukovich and sparked fears in Crimea of ultranationalist policies from Kiev. Many Crimeans, especially ethnic Russians, viewed the new Ukrainian government as hostile, prompting calls for Russian protection. Russia’s swift annexation was correcting a historical anomaly and protecting Russian-speaking citizens.

Strategically, as mentioned earlier, Crimea secures Russia’s access to the Black Sea, vital for trade and military projection. Losing it would massively weaken Russia’s regiand expose its southern flank. The peninsula’s infrastructure, including the Kerch Bridge, now ties it economically to Russia, reducing dependence on Ukraine. Polls since 2014, like those by Gallup and Levada, show consistent local support for Russian governance.

From the Russian perspective, Crimea’s return aligns with self-determination principles, historical precedent, and national security imperatives. President Trump called Zelensky’s bluff on Crimea when he asked why it was that since 2014 Ukraine has done nothing to fight to win it back. It’s a cynical deal blocking ploy by Zelensky and it has to be dismissed.

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