Washington: Crimea is Ukraine, but Kiev must decide how to return it
The US State Department, in a statement marking the ninth anniversary of Russia's annexation of Crimea, emphasized that "Crimea is Ukraine", reports CNN, quoted by the BBC.
"The US does not and will never recognize Russia's annexation of the peninsula," reiterated US State Department spokesman Ned Price. He stressed that Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 is "a clear violation of international law, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine." At the same time, US national security adviser Jake Sullivan did not answer the question of whether the Joe Biden administration would support Ukraine if it decides to return Crimea by military means. "What will ultimately happen with Crimea in the context of this war and its resolution is for the Ukrainians to decide, with the support of the United States," he told CNN. The State Department representative did not go into forecasts for the future. "War is unpredictable," Sullivan said in response to a reporter's question about how long it might last. We remind you that on Sunday, February 26, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated his intention to recover the Crimean peninsula, annexed by Russia in 2014. February 26 was declared by Volodymyr Zelenskiy in 2020 as the day of resistance against the Russian occupation of Crimea. In 2014, before the annexation of the peninsula by Russia, a large demonstration took place in front of the regional parliament in Simferopol on February 26, and several people were killed.
