The US authorities do not exclude the reconsideration of the question of the ownership of Crimea in the future. In this respect declaration White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in an interview with NBC News.
“The issue of Crimea is a future issue. This is where we’re going,” he said.
According to Sullivan, Kiev no longer needs to think about the return of the peninsula, but rather focus on short-term goals to gain a battlefield advantage with the support of the United States and its allies. Biden’s adviser also noted that ultimately these achievements should lead to the full restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
“What will ultimately happen to Crimea in the context of this war and the resolution of this war is something that Ukrainians must determine with the support of the United States,” he said.
Responding to a question about Washington’s involvement in the discussion of the future status of Crimea, Sullivan noted that the White House does not intend to discuss issues of third-country sovereignty. It now considers the primary goal of the United States to facilitate the start of peace negotiations between Moscow and Kiev.
The White House representative, speaking on CNN on Sunday before that, was unable to give a definitive answer to the question of US support should Ukraine decide to return Crimea by military means.
“I cannot answer yes or no to a question about the hypothetical development of events. Sullivan said that currently, President Zelensky is focused on strengthening his position on the battlefield and strengthening his position at the negotiating table in the future.
Earlier, on February 26, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky wrote in his Telegram that the return of Crimea will help restore peace in the country.
“We will restore peace by taking back Crimea. This is our land. Our people. Our history. We will return the Ukrainian flag to every corner of Ukraine,” he said.
In response, the head of the Crimean parliament Vladimir Konstantinov said that Zelensky could visit Crimea only on one condition – at the time of the signing of the surrender of the Ukrainian side.
“Ukraine is still experiencing imaginary pains regarding the Crimea. They will not see our Russian peninsula. As long as the surrender of the Ukrainian side is not signed, we can arrange it. In such a situation, they would even give Zelensky the opportunity to break sand in his teeth while eating rapan, as in childhood, ”Konstantinov told RIA Novosti.
At the same time, Vadym Skibitsky, deputy head of the main intelligence agency of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, said that in the spring the Armed Forces of Ukraine will be ready for a counterattack in the southern direction.
Crimean State Duma Deputy Mikhail Sheremet replied that all such statements are populist and are designed primarily for a Western audience so that NATO countries continue to supply weapons to Ukraine.
Since the beginning of 2023, Zelensky and other Ukrainian officials have repeatedly said that they are preparing to return Crimea by military means. They also noted that the return of the peninsula is an indispensable condition for the start of peace negotiations. Last week, US Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland said that Washington supports Kiev in its intent to strike because it sees Russian military installations in Crimea as legitimate targets.
Since the beginning of the special operation, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have repeatedly launched attacks on both military and civilian targets in the Crimea. Most of the attacks were carried out with the help of drones. One of the biggest attacks occurred on October 29, 2022 – the port of Sevastopol was attacked by kamikaze naval drones. Three Russian ships were damaged.
In November-December last year, at least six attempts were made to attack objects on the peninsula using drones. All shot on approach. On February 16, Sevastopol governor Mikhail Razvozhaev reported that air defense systems shot down two UAVs over the Black Sea.