For Ukraine war will only end with return of Crimea 

This was reported by The Washington Post today, December 11, 2022.

According to the publication, for Russian President Vladimir Putin, the annexation of Crimea has become a pillar of his legacy, which will collapse if he loses the peninsula. Putin stated that any attempts by Ukraine to return Crimea would cross a red line and he would not tolerate it.

The publication also adds that Ukraine's plan to return Crimea has long seemed like a far-fetched fantasy, but Kyiv's recent victories on the battlefield and Moscow's mistakes have suddenly made it plausible.

At the same time, the West, while supporting Ukraine, is at the same time concerned that any Ukrainian military advance into the territory of Crimea could push Putin to decisive action, potentially even to the use of a nuclear bomb, and some Western officials hope that the agreement on the transfer of Crimea to Russia could become  basis for a diplomatic end to the war. Instead, the Ukrainians reject this idea, while the Russians say they will not agree to something that “already belongs to them,” WP writes.

The article adds that the struggle for the peninsula is unlikely to be resolved without further bloodshed.

The publication reports that the attack in early October on the Crimean bridge - a symbol of Putin's USD 4 billion imperial ambitions in Ukraine - triggered, according to the Kremlin, Moscow's relentless bombing campaign against critical infrastructure in Ukraine, which now threatens to plunge the country into a humanitarian crisis.

After Kyiv liberated Kherson, which Moscow assured would be “Russia forever,” Russian officials stepped up their rhetoric. Former President Dmitry Medvedev promised "doomsday" in the event of any attack on Crimea, and a member of the Russian parliament warned of a "final crushing blow."

Ukraine, meanwhile, is developing detailed plans for the reintegration of Crimea, including the expulsion of thousands of Russian citizens who moved there after 2014.

The Washington Post concluded that many believe that the war that started in Crimea should end in Crimea. 

In particular, the words of the former Russian oil tycoon and longtime critic of Putin, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, are quoted on this occasion.

“The question of Crimea, which I thought before the war would take decades to resolve, today is unambiguous. It is difficult to imagine a real end to the war without the return of Crimea to Ukraine,” he said.