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Ukraine can’t take Crimea even if Russia gives it away, says Ukrainian leader’s envoy

Permanent representative of the Ukrainian president for Crimea Anton Korinevich called the Russian Federation "the agressor"

Sevastopol, Crimea Sergei Malgavko/TASS

Sevastopol, Crimea

© Sergei Malgavko/TASS

KIEV, February 5. /TASS/. Ukraine is incapable of setting up work of public authorities in Crimea even if Russia voluntarily agrees to hand the peninsula over, permanent representative of the Ukrainian president for Crimea Anton Korinevich said Wednesday.

"If the aggressor - the Russian Federation - tomorrow leaves Crimea, the Ukrainian state is not ready. It should be ready but what we see now is that we still need to keep working," he told Ukrinform news agency, responding to a question whether Kiev is ready to realize a plan to retake the peninsula.

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Zelensky’s approval rating dips below 50%, poll indicates

According to him, for now it is unclear who will assume powers of central authorities and who will govern at the site. "In other words, readiness is truly lacking now, that is what should be actively dealt with particularly for us bot not only that," the envoy concluded.

After the coup d’etat in Ukraine in February 2014, Crimea and Sevastopol held a referendum, in which 96.7% of Crimeans and 95.6% of Sevastopol voters chose to secede from Ukraine and join Russia. Eighty percent of the voting population participated in the referendum. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the reunification deal on March 18, 2014, which the Federation Council (upper house of the Russian parliament) ratified on March 21, 2014. Despite the convincing results of the referendum, Kiev refused to recognize Crimea as a part of Russia.

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