US Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland stated At a conference at the Carnegie Endowment that the United States supports UAF attacks on Russian military installations.
“These are legitimate targets. Ukraine is attacking them. We also support them,” he said, referring to the military facilities in Crimea.
“Ukraine will not be safe unless Crimea is at least demilitarized,” Nuland said. He argues that “this is part of providing a strong deterrent” [России]”.
The moderator, Aaron David Miller, a retired US diplomat and now a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment, noted that for Moscow the strikes in the Crimea were a “red line”.
“I will not assume where the Ukrainians decided to fight. Or how they decided to act on Crimea in the short, medium and long term. “We recognize Crimea as Ukraine,” said the US Deputy Secretary of State.
Asked whether Washington’s goals align with Kiev’s intention to return territory, including Crimea, Nuland replied in the affirmative.
However, Nuland added that Kiev must retake “significant lands” before moving on to the Crimea issue.
“This is what they are currently focusing on,” said the Undersecretary. He once again pointed out that the US “never recognizes the Russian authority over Crimea”.
The Russian embassy in the United States said the position expressed by Nuland was a confirmation of Washington’s direct involvement in the conflict.
The official acknowledged that the administration is fueling the Kiev regime’s ambitions to attack our country. Most importantly, it’s not just Washington’s rhetoric, it’s concrete actions,” he said. says in the comments of Igor Girenko, the press secretary of the diplomatic mission.
He drew attention to the supply of modern sets of weapons to Kiev “used to defeat the Russian territories.”
“De facto, operations are scheduled with them. “As American experts openly admit, they participate in the aiming of targets with weapons,” he said.
To him, “provoking” Kiev to the Crimea means “forcing it to attack Moscow or Vladivostok.”
Girenko added that Russia “sees such a position of Washington as a clear manifestation of the belligerent stance of the United States” regarding the Russian Federation. “Washington’s attempts to use the Ukrainians to inflict a strategic defeat on us are doomed to failure,” he warned.
A week ago, Celeste Wallander, Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs. statedHe said US authorities would not oppose Ukraine’s attacks on Crimea.
“Ukraine has the right to defend every inch of its territory. Provided that Ukraine sees operational value in hitting Russian forces on Ukrainian territory, <…> The United States has no objections, we are not trying to limit Ukrainian military operations, [направленные на] they are achieving their goals,” said Wallander.
January 28, Advisor to the President of Ukraine Mikhail Podolyak reportedThere are “very strong” military installations on the territory of Crimea. He added that Ukraine is negotiating for the supply of long-range missiles that will “make it possible to destroy the rear infrastructure of the Russians, especially the artillery depots.”
At the same time, Ukraine assures that it will not attack Russian territories except where it considers its “temporarily occupied territory”. About February 2 declaration Defense Minister Alexei Reznikov.
According to him, Kiev is looking for long-range missiles with a range of up to 300 km from its partners.
The next day, February 3, the United States announced a new $2,175 billion military support package. This package includes, among other things, small-diameter GLSDB bombs with a range of about 150 km. announced At a briefing hosted by Pentagon Press Secretary Patrick Ryder.
He noted that providing GLSDB with small-caliber bombs launched from the ground would “enable longer range attacks”.
One of the journalists present at the event noted that these missiles could reach Crimea. He asked Ryder if this showed that Washington had decided to deploy these weapons to hit the peninsula. “As far as Ukraine’s plans and operations are concerned, of course it is their decision,” the Pentagon spokesperson replied.
On February 4, Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of Russia, said in an interview with journalist Naadana Friedrichson that “there will be no negotiations” if Kiev attacks Crimea. According to him, in response Russia will carry out “reprisal strikes”. “All Ukraine under Kiev’s rule will burn,” he warned, emphasizing Moscow’s reaction “could be anything”.
Medvedev stated that the decision will be made “in accordance with our doctrinal documents, including the Foundations of Nuclear Deterrence,” according to the nature of the threats. He assured that the answer would be “quick, firm and convincing”.
There had already been an incident in Crimea last fall. On the morning of October 8, a truck exploded on the Krymsky bridge, causing tanks next to a passing train to catch fire, and two spans of the bridge’s roadbed collapsed. Four people died. Russian special services claim that the organizers of the incident were the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and its head, Kirill Budanov. Britain said 12 people were directly linked to the attack.
After this state of emergency, Russia began to attack Ukraine’s energy infrastructure facilities.