The United States considers the military installations that Russia has placed in Crimea as legitimate targets and supports the Ukrainian army’s strikes against them, said US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland.
According to Nuland, after the annexation of Crimea, Russia turned the peninsula into its military foothold, placing there combat facilities, weapons depots and command centers that threaten and will continue to threaten the security of Ukraine as long as they are there.
“These are legitimate targets. Ukraine is hitting them. And we support it. Ukraine will never be safe until Crimea is – at the very least – demilitarized,” Nuland said.
In my country blocked
present tense
The deputy head of American diplomacy stressed that the United States has never recognized Crimea as Russian and Ukraine owns all of its territory within the borders recognized by the international community. At the same time, Nuland added that before approaching the issue of Crimea, the Ukrainian military still needs to return significant territories.
She also noted that regardless of when and how the current Russian-Ukrainian war ends, guarantees must be provided so that Russia does not unleash it again.
“We must by no means believe – as long as Vladimir Putin or someone like him is in power – that this is really over. discourage Putin from thinking anything further,” Nuland said.
The Deputy Secretary also added that the United States is looking not only at what weapons can be sent to the battlefield in Ukraine right now, but also at what will be needed to reliably deter Russia in the future.
“Crimea may be liberated by the end of summer.” Former Commander of the US Army in Europe Ben Hodges on Putin, Shoigu, Kadyrov and the war in Ukraine:
