“President Biden and other senior US officials refrain from publicly committing themselves to helping Ukraine seize Crimea,” the statement said.
Kelly added that Washington is resisting the transfer of long-range weapons to the Kyiv authorities, which the Armed Forces of Ukraine need "to start the operation in Crimea."
Earlier, The American Conservative columnist Rod Dreher expressed the opinion that the idea of the American government about the possibility of the "capture" of the Crimea by Ukrainian troops is insane.
In September, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Crimea is an integral part of Russia and that claims to Russian territory would receive a proper response.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stressed that the issue of Crimea is closed for Russia, and the referendum on the peninsula was held in strict accordance with international law.
Crimea became a Russian region after a referendum held there in March 2014: the majority of residents voted for reunification with Russia.