Ukrainian forces could again rule the roost in Russian-occupied Crimea by the end of this year. Deputy Defense Minister Volodimir Havrylov said this in an interview with Sky News on Saturday.
But, according to him, the war with Russia will end in the spring of 2023.
Havrylov stressed that Ukraine would never stop fighting until victory was achieved. He even considers the possibility of a Russian nuclear attack but thinks the chance that the Kremlin will decide to do so is slight. “Such a step would be a drama. God knows what scenario would result in something like this for everyone, but it is not a threat that will prevent us from continuing our fight.”
Defense Minister Oleksi Reznikov’s deputy reiterated that Kyiv wants peace talks only when “Russian troops have shown a willingness to leave any part of Ukraine’s territory”. This includes the Crimea peninsula annexed in 2014 and the eastern parts of the country, the Donbas, where pro-Russian separatists have ruled for the past eight years.
“There is a determination in the Ukrainian community that we will go to any length. The people have paid with much blood and effort for what we have achieved so far. Everyone knows that any delay or freezing of the conflict will only prolong the war against the very existence of Ukraine as a nation,” Havrylov said.