US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo does not respect the democratic choice of the Crimean people, who advocated the reunification of the peninsula with Russia. Thus, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, commented on the words of the head of the US foreign affairs agency that Crimea "should be returned" to Ukraine.
“The last person to whom Crimea owes something is Mike Pompeo, who does not respect the results of the democratic will of the Crimean people,” she wrote on Facebook.
Earlier, Pompeo, speaking at a meeting of the Washington Economic Club, said that Crimea should "return" to Ukraine. So he answered the question of David Rubinstein, the moderator of the meeting, that the peninsula "will never return to Ukraine."
“The US position is that this is unacceptable. Crimea must be returned, ”said Pompeo.
Recall Crimea reunited with Russia in 2014. This happened as a result of the referendum, in which more than 96% of the Crimean people were in favor of returning the region to the Russian Federation. Ukraine and Western countries did not recognize the results of the plebiscite.
“Crimea is used as a pressure point”
The reunion itself took place against the backdrop of the political crisis in Ukraine, which was the result of a coup d'état supported by the United States, Olga Timofeeva, senator from Sevastopol, member of the committee of the International Affairs Department, said in a conversation with RT.
“Accordingly, the United States will adhere to this position. To recognize the referendum in Crimea as legitimate is to actually recognize the coup d’etat and recognize the negative impact that the United States had on the development of the situation in Ukraine in 2014, ”she explained.
In addition, in demanding the "return" of Crimea to Ukraine, the United States neglects international law, Timofeeva stressed.
"The Americans will insist on the need to return the Crimea to Ukraine, without thinking that they thereby violate all international norms, because Crimea became part of the Russian Federation through the referendum procedure ... because it is the right to self-determination and the right to be responsible for their future and their fate, ”she said.
Yury Hempel, head of the Crimean parliament’s committee on inter-ethnic relations, also said about the finality of the Crimean election.
“Crimea returned to Russia based on the decision of the Crimean people, based on the results of the referendum, which was held in compliance with all international rights and in compliance with the Constitution of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, which we had at that time. To speak today either to the Americans or to someone else about the return of the Crimea is, to put it mildly, incorrect. We made our choice and made it completely, ”he said in an interview with RT.
The United States uses the issue of belonging to the peninsula to sanction pressure on Russia, said Deputy of the State Council of the Republic of Crimea Vladislav Ganzhara.
“We understand that the Crimea is now used as a pressure point, including sanctions pressure on the Russian Federation. In this regard, the Americans chose a position for themselves, denying objectively the existing reality, trying to impose their point of view, still in a certain way constantly blaming Russia for various issues, ”he said RT.
Ganjara admitted that if there were no reunification of the Crimea and Russia, “the question of sanctions pressure would be related to other aspects.”
“Just for themselves, the United States cannot recognize the fact that the role of a global policeman, which the United States tried on, it really ended for them. Today, building relationships should proceed from constructive diplomatic aspects. In this sense, the United States rested on its own impasse, from which it is quite difficult for them to get out, ”the deputy stated.
“The question is finally closed”
Moscow has repeatedly noted that the referendum was conducted in accordance with international law and reflects the desire of the inhabitants of the region to reunite the Crimea of Russia. At the same time, it was emphasized that the further discussion about the belonging of the peninsula was finally closed.
“The issue of the reunification of the Crimea is finally closed, whether someone likes it or not,” said Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in April. “No declaration by Washington, the European Union or NATO can change this situation either from a legal or a political point of view.”
The Foreign Minister stressed that Russia will continue to work at the international level in order to convey the objective reality of the peninsula’s ownership to other countries.
“The Foreign Ministry of the Russian Federation will continue to conduct consistent political and informational work in order to clarify the realities associated with the return of Crimea to Russia,” Lavrov stressed.