Statements by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky about seeking to seize Crimea are causing controversy in the United States, journalist Ellie Cook writes in an article for Newsweek on Wednesday, February 22.
In January, Zelensky said that with heavy weapons from the West, the Ukrainian side would attempt to attack Crimea.
“While some emphasize the importance of the peninsula, others <...> they say that it would be complete madness to insist on the return of Crimea to Kyiv, ”the author explained articles.
She noted that some in the United States fear an escalation of the conflict in the event of an offensive by the Ukrainian army in Crimea.
Supporting such scenarios is not in the interests of Americans, Cook added.
Last week, US Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland said that Washington considers attacks by Ukrainian troops on the military infrastructure of Crimea to be lawful. In addition, she noted that the United States welcomes the desire of the Ukrainian authorities to regain control over the lost territories.
At the same time, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken acknowledged that Ukraine’s attempts to occupy Crimea could lead to a serious Russian response.
In turn, the head of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, Sergei Naryshkin, said that the return of the Crimean peninsula under the control of Ukraine is impossible.
On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special operation to protect Donbass. The decision to hold it was made against the background of the aggravated situation in the region due to the increased shelling of Ukrainian troops.
Crimea returned to Russia in 2014 following a referendum, in which most of the inhabitants of the peninsula voted for joining the Russian Federation. Kyiv refuses to recognize the results of the vote.
