Zelensky: If there had been an order to retake Crimea in 2014, there would have been no full-scale war

The head of state made the remarks on The Diary of a CEO podcast, hosted by entrepreneur and investor Steven Bartlett, Ukrinform reports.

"Looking back at that time today [referring to February-March 2014, when Russia seized Crimea], you realize that this was when the war began. Our mistake was not retaking it. If there had been an order to defend the state, I am sure there would not have been a full-scale war in the form it has taken today. At least, that is how it seems to me," Zelensky said.

He noted that Russia's war against Ukraine began with the occupation of Crimea.

"That is true. It is just that the occupation was gradual. It did not look much like a war. Why? Because Ukraine was not fighting at that point. When they occupied Crimea, there were certainly some shots fired, but for a long time Russia denied that these were its people. They were even called 'little green men' because you could not tell what kind of uniform they were wearing. In other words, there were people with some kind of weapons on the peninsula, and the problem was that the Ukrainian authorities had issued no clear orders that we had to defend our land, that someone had crossed our borders with weapons," Zelensky said.

As previously reported, on February 20, 2014, Russia committed an international crime, violated the fundamental principles of international law and the European order, disrupted the existing balance of power in the region, and triggered Europe's biggest security crisis since World War II. In a flagrant violation of Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty, Russian troops began occupying Crimea. Trucks without license plates appeared on the peninsula, along with the so-called "little green men" – armed military personnel without insignia. At the same time, irregular armed groups of mercenaries recruited from local residents were formed and armed under the direction of officers from Russia's security services and armed forces.

Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine