By Alex Ivanov. Moscow Correspondent
Since the unification of Crimea with Russia in March 2014, problems with the water supply disturb the population of the Peninsula. Ukraine has stopped supplying fresh water from the Dnieper river through the North Crimean canal, writes Alex Ivanov, Moscow correspondent.
It is known that there has always been a shortage of water in Crimea, both due to the arid climate and low rainfall, and due to the natural lack of underground water.
Ukraine has blocked the canal, and Russia is desperately looking for new sources of water supply to the Peninsula. In the world and in Europe, do not pay attention to the fact that 2.340 million people living in Crimea are forced to lack of drinking water, as if it were the Sahara desert.
In relations between Moscow and Kiev, a new scandal broke out — this time around the idea of building water desalinators on the Crimean Peninsula. The Russian Foreign Ministry these days made it clear that the problem of water supply to Crimea will be solved regardless of the position of the Ukrainian authorities, who “do not care about people’s lives”.
The statement was a reaction to the promise “to prevent the implementation of the project in every possible way”, which was announced by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmitry Kuleba. In Kiev, they are sure that the water resources of the Crimea for the needs of the local population are enough, and additional water supplies threaten to “militarize the region”.
Speaker of the State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin gave his comment on the situation: “Having previously stopped the access of fresh water through the canal, Ukrainian authorities deprive people of water in general. Is it necessary to hate people so much?” He has also reminded that earlier the leadership of Ukraine claimed that “the Crimean bridge will not be built, and there will be no tourists in Crimea”.
Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba recently stated that, “the illegal occupation authorities in Crimea are attracting a large international company to introduce water desalination technologies”. Kuleba said that “we will prevent from implementing this project”.
In this regard, Dmitry Kuleba noted that next year Kiev will create the “Crimean platform” — an international negotiating platform for the return of the Peninsula to Ukraine. He said that various states, international and human rights organizations and experts will join the work of the platform. “We will make such conditions for Russia in world politics that will squeeze it out of Crimea.”
Ukraine provided up to 85% of the needs of Crimea in fresh water through the North Crimean canal. In 2014, deliveries stopped. Since then, the issue of water supply has been partially solved at the expense of reservoirs, which over the past year due to lack of precipitation have become significantly shallower.
At the end of the year, the situation with precipitation in Crimea improved slightly, but the level of reservoirs supplying the largest cities of the Peninsula is still minimal. More than fifty towns and settlements of the Peninsula receive water according to schedules. But the region is determined to solve water supply problems without Ukraine.
Some days ago the Head of Crimea Sergey Aksenov announced that the construction of desalination plants can begin as early as January 1, 2021.
According to him, if precipitation is still not enough, “desalination is the only way out.”
It is quite obvious that Russia will not tolerate Ukraine’s aggressive attitude towards the population of Crimea and Kiev’s desire to starve the population of the Peninsula, which the Ukrainian authorities are so eager to return to the power of Ukraine. Funny situation.
Russia is already making every effort to provide the population of Crimea with drinking water in sufficient quantities and to guarantee the needs of the Peninsula’s agriculture.
It is surprising that the whole world looks at this situation indifferently. People have been deprived of almost everything: investment, visas, opportunities to travel abroad, and now drinking water, just to supposedly restore the rule of law to the detriment of people’s immediate needs?
The opinions expressed in the above article are those of the author and do not reflect any opinion on the part of EU Reporter.
(c) EU Reporter
“It is surprising that the whole world looks at this situation indifferently. People have been deprived of almost everything: investment, visas, opportunities to travel abroad, and now drinking water, just to supposedly restore the rule of law to the detriment of people’s immediate needs?”
The author would have been one of those waving his little Russian flag in 2014, and wetting himself with excitement. Now that Crimea has been turned into a shithole, it’s everyone’s fault, except Russia’s. With annexation comes responsibility, so extract yourself from Putin’s rear end for a minute, and ask yourself why shorty has done nothing about the situation in 6 years of occupation, except whine?
Putler wants to derail the water situation to portray Kyiv as evil and justify the annexation. It’s an extremely difficult lot for Kyiv.
Or worse yet, try to justify another attempt at the land bridge to Moldova and extend their attempted annexation.
I’m afraid you’re right, that’s the only way to supply Crimea with enough water.
“Russia is already making every effort to provide the population of Crimea with drinking water in sufficient quantities and to guarantee the needs of the Peninsula’s agriculture.”
This could be understood as a way to shirk its duties as occupation authority and to shove the fault onto Ukraine. Maybe even a hush-hush way of saying that the last resort is a military solution.