Ukraine can restore peace by returning the national flag to Crimea – Zelensky

On February 26, marked as the Day of Resistance to russia's Occupation of Crimea, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that the Ukrainian flag "will be returned to every corner of the country."

He wrote this on his Telegram channel, noting that the military aggression of the russian federation started with the annexation of Crimea 9 years ago.

"Nine years ago, russian aggression began in Crimea. By returning Crimea, we will restore peace. This is our land. Our people. Our history. We will return the Ukrainian flag to every corner of Ukraine," Zelensky wrote.

The head of the President's Office, Andriy Yermak, also stated that Ukraine would definitely take the peninsula back.

"On the Day of Resistance to the Occupation of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol, I want to say that we will definitely take back (the peninsula) and will return (to it)," he writes.

For reference:

The russian occupation of the Crimean Peninsula is the ongoing military occupation and illegal annexation by the russian federation of the territory of Ukraine: the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol. The occupation of Crimea became part of the russian armed aggression against Ukraine.

On March 16, 2014, a "referendum on the status of Crimea" was held. According to russian data, 96.77% of residents of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol voted for the reunification of the respective territories with the russian federation.

On March 17, the Verkhovna Rada of the Republic of Crimea (the Parliament of Crimea) proclaimed the independence of the Republic of Crimea, and on March 18, in the kremlin, the president of the russian federation, vladimir putin, together with the self-proclaimed Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Crimea Serhiy Aksyonov, the Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of the Republic of Crimea, Volodymyr Kostantynov, and the self-proclaimed the chairman of the coordinating council for the organization of the Sevastopol municipal administration Aleksei Chaliy signed the Treaty on the accession of the Republic of Crimea into the russian federation.

On March 21, the Federation Council adopted the law on the ratification of the Treaty of March 18 and the law on the formation of new subjects of the federation — the Republic of Crimea and the federal city of Sevastopol, confirming the annexation of these regions by the russian federation.

On March 27, 2014, the UN General Assembly supported the territorial integrity of Ukraine, recognizing Crimea and Sevastopol as its integral parts.