2023-01-19T11:16:00+02:00 Politics 2024-09-15T05:59:12+03:00

Ukrainian news

White House softens attitude towards Ukraine's return of Crimea – media

White House softens attitude towards Ukraine's return of Crimea – media

The Administration of U.S. President Joe Biden, after months of discussions with Ukrainian officials, began to discuss what means could be transferred to Ukraine for possible strikes on military facilities in the temporarily occupied Crimea.

This is reported by European Pravda online media outlet, The New York Times reports.

The change in position of Biden’s Administration is related to its new approach: if the Ukrainian military can show Russia that its control over Crimea may be under threat, this will strengthen Kyiv's position in any future negotiations.

In addition, the United States fears that the Kremlin might use tactical nuclear weapon in response to a possible military campaign against Crimea have diminished, although such a risk remains.

Currently, The New York Times sources say, U.S. officials are discussing with their Ukrainian counterparts the use of American weapons – from HIMARS systems to Bradley fighting vehicles – for a possible strike along the land corridor that connects Crimea to Russia through the occupied cities of Melitopol and Mariupol.

At the same time, the U.S. President is not yet ready to provide Ukraine with the long-range missile systems Kyiv needs to attack Russian facilities on the peninsula.

By demonstrating the ability to strike Crimea, NYT interlocutors say, Ukraine could show that Russian control over Crimea is not fixed. Biden’s Administration also increasingly believes that strikes against Russia's rear positions in Crimea could seriously damage Moscow's ability to push its front line further.

Washington currently does not believe that Ukraine can seize Crimea by military means, among other things, due to fears that such a move could push Russian President Vladimir Putin to escalate in response. But Biden’s Administration's current position is that Russia must believe that Crimea is under threat - in part to strengthen Ukraine's position in any future negotiations.

According to The New York Times, this week the American and Ukrainian command will hold a high-level meeting in Germany to work out planning for a possible offensive. The purpose of the meeting is to coordinate Ukraine's combat plans with the types of weapons and materials provided by the U.S. allies in NATO.

The publication notes that the position outlined in the material contrasts with the statements of American officials several months ago. For example, in November, the U.S. president's national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, recommended that Zelenskyy’s team start thinking about realistic requirements for negotiations with the Russian Federation, including a review of Ukraine's stated goal of returning Crimea.