Blinken Reportedly Says US Not Actively Encouraging Ukraine to Retake Crimea

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US State Secretary Antony Blinken said in a video call with experts Wednesday the United States is not actively encouraging Ukraine to retake control of Crimea, but the decision is Kiev’s alone, media reported citing four sources.

According to the report, the US administration’s main focus is to assist Ukraine in Donbass.

After someone on the call asked if Washington was willing to assist Ukraine in realizing its goal to seize Russia's Crimea, Blinken said it would be a red line for Russian President Vladimir Putin that could provoke a wider response from Moscow.

Despite US and NATO officials constantly claiming that Crimea is part of Ukraine, they have not been active since 2014 in trying to contest the reunification of Crimea with Russia.

Crimea became a Russian region after a referendum was held there in March 2014 following a coup in Ukraine. Ukraine continues to consider Crimea as its own, but temporarily occupied territory. The Russian leadership has repeatedly stated that Crimean residents democratically, in full compliance with international law and the UN Charter, voted for reunification with Russia. According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Crimea issue is "closed."