US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday that the US will never recognize Crimea as part of Russia, APA reports quoting sputniknews, APA reports quoting sputniknews.
According to Pompeo, in annexing the peninsula, Russia "acted in a manner unworthy of a great nation and has chosen to isolate itself from the international community."
"Russia, through its 2014 invasion of Ukraine and its attempted annexation of Crimea, sought to undermine a bedrock international principle shared by democratic states: that no country can change the borders of another by force," the 54-year-old said in a statement ahead of testimony before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee. "In concert with allies, partners, and the international community, the United States rejects Russia's attempted annexation of Crimea and pledges to maintain this policy until Ukraine's territorial integrity is restored."
"The United States calls on Russia to respect the principles to which it has long claimed to adhere and to end its occupation of Crimea," he added.
During his subsequent testimony to the committee, Pompeo said he was committed to working with Congress on new sanctions and that "there will be no relief of sanctions until Russia returns control of the peninsula to Ukraine." However, he did also indicate that the Trump administration wishes to restore relations with Russia, as a fellow nuclear super power.
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