‘Reconquest’ of Crimea has started – Zelensky

Ukrainians are now psychologically ready to retake the Crimean Peninsula from Russia by force, President Vladimir Zelensky told French broadcaster TF1 in an interview on Sunday. "The Reconquest" of Crimea has supposedly already started in Ukrainians’ heads, the president claimed, hinting that he could visit the "de-occupied" peninsula as early as 2023.

"The operation itself has not started yet," Zelensky said, when asked about Kiev’s plans for Crimea. "When it starts, you will definitely hear about it," he told TF1, adding that he personally believes "the reconquest of Crimea has started in people’s heads, and that’s very important."

According to Zelensky, it was not enough for Kiev to just repeatedly state that the peninsula is a part of Ukrainian territory. Ukraine should be ready to retake it by force, he said, adding that Russia would hardly give up on it.