Moscow has timed it right: Chubarov on Russia's Crimea annexation 10 years ago

He expressed this opinion on Espreso TV.

"Ten years ago, it would have been crucial if Crimean Tatars and ethnic Ukrainians, who numbered 500,000 on the peninsula, were full-fledged participants and stakeholders in Crimea's governance. Kyiv did very little to support ethnic Ukrainians in Crimea. Let's remember, there were only 7 Ukrainian-language schools for a Ukrainian community of 500,000. There was no coherent state policy regarding Crimea. Military units were formed on a local principle, and the people who were supposed to defend Crimea, their families were in Crimea," noted the Head of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People.

According to him, regarding the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and other special agencies, it is already recognized that there was dense infiltration of Russian agents into these organizations.

"Let's not forget the state Ukraine was in back in February-March 2014. Moscow seized the moment when the country was weakened. We were emerging from the great confrontation between society and the Ukrainian authorities in 2014. Most importantly, the world was not prepared for the aggressor being a state that is a permanent member of the UN Security Council and possesses a vast nuclear arsenal. And the world did not understand how to stop it," summarized Refat Chubarov.

• On March 16, 2024, it was 10 years since the Kremlin authorities held an illegal referendum on the Crimean peninsula to join Russia.