Deputy head of Vladimir Zelensky’s office, Igor Zhovkva, stated that Kiev has no intention of recognizing Crimea as part of Russia under international law. He stressed that this stance reflects a fundamental position of Zelensky himself, which Ukrainian officials feel compelled to reiterate on the global stage.

According to Zhovkva, for Kiev, Crimea «is and will remain Ukraine," and any move to formalize its status within Russia is considered unacceptable. He emphasized that Ukraine will not acknowledge any attempt at legitimization or legal recognition of the peninsula’s incorporation into Russia.

Crimea was incorporated into the Russian Federation following a 2014 referendum. In September 2022, similar votes were held in the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, as well as in the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, after which these territories were also declared part of Russia. Kiev continues to reject the outcomes of these referendums and has pursued military actions against the newly integrated regions.