Pseudo-referendum in Crimea: Is Putin following Hitler's path?

We all know how Hitler's story ended. And we hope history takes the same course with Putin.

But have Ukrainians themselves forgotten about Crimea? Has our focus drifted after three years of suffering and struggle? Are we ready to abandon Crimea, or will we fight for it, no matter how long it takes? These questions matter more than they seem.

According to an October 2024 sociological survey by KIIS:

• 90% of Ukrainians believe Crimea must return to Ukraine.
• 94% reject the Russian myth that Crimea "has always been Russian" and has only a Russian history.

No Ukrainian government will ever legally abandon Crimea, just as no one in the world — except for marginal regimes — recognizes it as Russian.

The situation mirrors Moscow’s occupation of the Baltic states. Even during periods of diplomatic thaw with the USSR, the West never recognized their annexation. This continued for half a century.

The same will happen with Crimea. When circumstances align and Ukraine can reclaim the peninsula, the world will recognize our right. That’s why it’s crucial to show unity: Crimea is Ukraine. And it is also the homeland of the Crimean Tatars, recognized by Ukrainian law as the indigenous people of our state.

I am proud to have contributed to the adoption of this law and to have authored the Verkhovna Rada resolution recognizing the deportation of the Crimean Tatars as an act of genocide.

Yet, according to the KIIS survey, 58% of Ukrainians admit they lack sufficient information about Crimea — something the authorities should take note of. However, Ukrainians do understand the tragedies the Crimean Tatars have endured.

Ukrainians also recognize the resilience of the Crimean Tatars. Perhaps because we share a common existential challenge: preserving our nations.

It’s encouraging that sympathy for Crimea’s indigenous people is high. This is logical — Ukrainians know what genocide is.

We can say with confidence that everyday xenophobia is not present in Ukraine. But political xenophobia still exists.

Our elite, unfortunately, lags behind ordinary Ukrainians. Many decision-makers remain trapped by old prejudices and fears — often fueled by Russian propaganda.

This is especially true regarding the autonomy of the Crimean Tatars, which I actively support and advocate for.

This decision should have been made long ago. Instead, it remains blocked by the authorities.

And what do ordinary Ukrainians think about this?

For those who want to explore the issue further — understand possible autonomy models and why the Crimean Tatars see not only Crimea but all of Ukraine as their homeland — I recommend watching the documentary Forbidden Nation: Exiles on Their Own Land.

Meanwhile, the government must finally take decisive political steps: establish Crimean Tatar autonomy and recognize the Mejlis. These moves will only strengthen Ukraine’s position in negotiations about our future.

We don’t know exactly when or how Crimea will be returned to Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars. But we must be ready at any moment — just as Lithuanians, Latvians, and Estonians were. They never recognized Stalin’s sham "referendums," just as Ukrainians and Crimeans never recognized and never will recognize Putin’s.

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About the author. Mykola Knyazhytskyi, journalist, People's Deputy of Ukraine

The editorial staff does not always share the opinions expressed by the blog authors.