Head of Servant of the People faction agrees to let water into annexed Crimea in exchange for concessions in Donbass

Head of the Servant of the People faction Davyd Arakhamia has stated he would agree to let water into the annexed Crimea in exchange for concessions in the Donbass from Russian President Vladimir Putin. He stated this on the air of the Priamyi TV channel, - LB.ua reports.

Arakhamia was asked to express his private position on the situation in which Russian President Vladimir Putin would offer to make concessions in the Donbass in exchange for Ukraine's supply of water to the annexed Crimea.

"I will consider this a sufficient compromise. I would go for that. Because citizens of Ukraine will use water in the Crimea one way or another… If this is a kind of exchange for them leaving with all their armed formations to Rostov, and we will establish a full control over our border and it is necessary to supply water to the Crimea for this, I would definitely go for that", - Arakhamia said.

Until 2014, about 85% of the water needs of Crimean residents were provided by the North Crimean Canal, through which water from Ukraine came. But Ukraine cut off water supplies after the annexation of Crimea by Russia.

Ukrainian authorities have repeatedly made statements that the water supply to the annexed peninsula would be resumed only after de-occupation.

In August 2019, occupation authorities of the Crimea announced that it was necessary to "start the overture" of resumption of the North Crimean Canal, because there is "water coming from the territory of the Russian Federation" in Dnipro. Permanent Representative of the President of Ukraine in Crimea Anton Korynevych stated in response that Dnipro does not flow through the Crimean territory.

In October 2019, head of the Verkhovna Rada Budget Committee, Yuriy Aristov proposed selling water to the Crimea annexed by Russia.

Head of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people Refat Chubarov replied that this would mean the surrender of positions on the de-occupation of the peninsula.

In February 2020, Zelensky's permanent representative in the Crimea Anton Korynevych ruled out the supply of water to the Crimea before de-occupation.