US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken stated that the decision to reclaim Crimea should be made by President Volodymyr Zelensky.
According to him, Ukraine should make the decision to reclaim the temporarily occupied peninsula.
“Ukraine is a democracy. President Zelensky is responsible for leading the country. But he also has to be responsive to the will of Ukrainians,” Blinken said.
The diplomat noted that the United States, along with other allies, have committed to supporting Ukraine in defending its independence, territorial integrity, and sovereignty. This includes a counteroffensive, which is likely to begin in the coming weeks,” he emphasized.
Earlier, intelligence reported that the occupiers had started evacuating Crimea and the peninsula will be de-occupied in the near future.
The head of the Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR), Kyrylo Budanov, stated that Ukraine will reclaim temporarily occupied Crimea through a combined approach of military force and diplomacy.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dmytro Kuleba, stated that a diplomatic solution to the conflict could involve returning to Ukraine’s borders as they were in 2013.
The Minister of Defense, Oleksiy Reznikov, believes that Ukraine can reclaim Crimea without a fight.