Ukraine wants Crimea back, asks EU to ban Russian travelers

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has suggested the ongoing conflict with Russia cannot end until the occupied territory of Crimea has been liberated.

Speaking in his evening address, Zelenskyy stated, “This Russian war against Ukraine and against the entire free Europe began with Crimea and must end with Crimea – with its liberation”. The statements came just hours after blasts in Crimea destroyed at least nine Russian warplanes.

The President has also been putting pressure on the EU to ban Russian travelers from their borders. The leaders of Finland and Estonia have already publicly backed the suggestion, claiming thousands of Russians have crossed into their countries before moving on through the rest of the EU.

Other countries, like Germany, are hesitant to punish those not directly responsible for the crisis, and fear it may drive barriers between families of the thousands of Russians already living legally within their borders.