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Crimea, a peninsula extending into the Black Sea, holds immense strategic importance for Russia. Annexed by Russia in 2014—before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine—Crimea became Russia’s gateway for its Black Sea fleet and a critical military and logistical foothold. Since then, Ukraine has consistently asserted its goal of reclaiming all occupied territories, including Crimea, despite widespread skepticism from both allies and critics. Prominent figures, including European and American politicians, have often declared such an objective impossible to achieve.