Refat Chubarov, Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, has warned Ukrainian authorities against considering the issue of resuming water supplies to the Russian-occupied Crimea "even hypothetically".
In a Facebook posting, Chubarov commented on the latest statements by Crimea occupation authorities on the need to ensure that the Ukrainian government provide Crimea with fresh water from the Dnipro River, as well as restore railway communication between mainland Ukraine and the occupied peninsula.
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"Don't consider, even hypothetically, discussing the topic of possible water, electricity supplies or the restoration of railway communication between mainland Ukraine and Crimea beyond the issue of unconditional, complete and immediate de-occupation of Crimea and restoration of Ukraine's state sovereignty over the Crimean peninsula and the adjacent waters of the Black and Azov Seas," wrote Chubarov.
According to the head of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, Ukraine is obliged to use the natural resources available on its territory to counter Russian aggression and to liberate the occupied territories.
"The cessation of the supply of Dnipro water to the Crimean peninsula in March 2014, and then the blockade of Crimea carried out by the Crimean Tatar and Ukrainian public on September 20, 2015, and a few months later — the complete cessation of electricity supplies to the temporarily occupied Crimea, made the annual maintenance of the occupied Crimea several billion dollars more expensive for the invaders," added Chubarov.
As UNIAN reported earlier, former permanent representative of the annexed Crimea under the President of Russia, Georgy Muradov, said that the Crimea "authorities" intended to appeal to the Russian leadership with a request to initiate a negotiation process with Ukraine on restoring water supplies from the Dnipro River to the peninsula.
