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Expert: The loss of Crimea would mean the end for Putin “Crimea is a sacred symbol and Putin’s phylactery. The loss of Crimea would automatically mean the dictator’s political death and the end of the Russian imperial project. He will never be forgiven or forgotten for this in Russia,” said Taras Berezovets, a representative of the Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces Command. Putin has repeatedly presented the occupation of the peninsula as the greatest achievement of his political career. During the announcement of Crimea’s annexation, he spoke with a trembling voice and tears in his eyes — an unusually emotional reaction for a leader who usually avoids showing feelings. According to Berezovets, this was tied not only to Soviet nostalgia but also to a long-standing Russian myth portraying Crimea as “Russian territory” that Moscow was destined to “return.” The annexation of Donbas did not trigger the same level of public enthusiasm in Russia as the takeover of Crimea. Many Russians viewed the peninsula as a valuable trophy, so its return to Ukraine would strike at one of the central symbols of Putin’s rule. “For them, this loss would not just be painful — it would be fatal,” Berezovets added.