Crimea as a gift and meetings with Putin: What Carter said about Ukraine and the war.

Vladimir Zelensky extended his condolences to all Americans and the family of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, who passed away the evening before.

The President of Ukraine shared this in a social media post on X. He noted that Carter was a leader who served as president during a time when Ukraine had not yet gained independence — "yet his heart was always with us as we fought for freedom."

"We deeply appreciate his steadfast commitment to the Christian faith and democratic values, as well as his unwavering support for Ukraine in the face of unprovoked aggression from Russia," emphasized Zelensky.

According to him, Jimmy Carter dedicated his life to strengthening peace globally and protecting human rights. "This is what I ask everyone to remember today: peace matters, and peace must remain paramount in the face of threats to these values," the President of Ukraine remarked.

U.S. President Joe Biden declared January 9, 2025, a day of mourning in memory of former President Jimmy Carter. This was stated in an announcement published on the White House website, as reported by the media.

"I invite people from around the world who share our grief to join us," the statement reads. According to Biden's order, national flags at government institutions both domestically and abroad will be flown at half-mast for 30 days.

What Carter Said About the War in Ukraine

Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States (1977-1981), who died on December 29, was remembered for his mixed statements regarding Ukraine and Russian aggression. After Russia's invasion in 2014, he hoped that Moscow would adhere to the Minsk agreements and was against the U.S. supplying arms to Ukraine.

In late March 2014, in an interview with PBS NewsHour, Carter described Russia's occupation of Crimea as "inevitable." However, he also emphasized that if Vladimir Putin decided to escalate military actions, he must be "stopped."

The former American president believed that most residents of the peninsula supposedly wanted to join Russia. At that time, he held the view that the Kremlin would not expand military actions against Ukraine.

Interestingly, in the same interview, the politician did not oppose supplying weapons to Ukrainians. "I think it would be justified to effectively arm the Ukrainian army and let everyone know that they are being armed," he stated.

In late April 2015, Carter was part of a delegation known as "The Elders" (a group mainly composed of former heads of state "using their experience and influence to promote peace, justice, and human rights") that traveled to Moscow. During negotiations about Ukraine, the former U.S. president believed Putin: allegedly he would adhere to the Minsk agreements.

"We were pleased because all the officials we spoke with here clearly stated that the Russian side very much wanted to see full compliance with the Minsk agreements, which were worked out jointly by Russia, Ukraine, France, and Germany. And I had no doubt that Russia genuinely wanted to see the situation resolved in all aspects. So, essentially, only one task needs to be resolved — to fulfill the Minsk agreements," he said after the trip to Voice of America.

Carter believed that "Minsk" was the "best way to solve the Ukrainian problem in the long term." When asked about military support, he stated: "I would very much like to see that no arms were sent to Ukraine, either to Kyiv or to Eastern Ukraine. I hope President Obama will not send weapons."

In this interview, the politician again recalled his belief that the Crimeans allegedly wanted to be part of Russia. Interestingly, he applied the same distortion of historical events as Russian propaganda, claiming that Nikita Khrushchev "many years ago — although not so many — transferred control of Crimea to Ukraine as a gift."

On February 24, 2022, Carter reacted to the large-scale war as follows:

"Russia's unprovoked attack on Ukraine using military and cyber weapons violates international law and the fundamental human rights of the Ukrainian people. I condemn this unjust assault on Ukraine's sovereignty, which threatens security in Europe and around the world, and I call on President Putin to cease all military actions and restore peace. The United States and its allies must support the people of Ukraine in their right to peace, security, and self-determination."

Additionally, on March 24, 2022, the Carter Center, the charitable organization founded by Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn, welcome the acceptance of Ukrainian refugees by the United States.

Previously, "Telegraph" reported that the former Prime Minister of India, who is considered the father of the country's economic growth, has passed away.