"In the calls for peace sometimes you need to take risk," a delegation member and lawyer, Sylvia Demarest, said at a press conference when asked whether she was afraid of Kiev's reaction to their visit.
Glenn Rennels, an anesthesiologist from Santa Clara, also said that he does not worry about that.
"I do not worry about what Ukraine might do. It is just too many steps downfield," Rennels said.
According to the delegation members, the main goal of the visit to Crimea is to see how local people live and discover more about Russia.
"I came to Crimea to meet people here, see how they live and to try to understand the people's life here and their perspectives. In international politics, there is a lot of anger in the air… talking and trying to understand another person… is the best approach," Rennels said.
Another delegation member, Kathryn Metz, said that she came to Crimea to "learn more about the country, its culture and people."
READ MORE: US Delegation Arrives in Crimea for 3-Day Fact-Finding Visit
According to Metz, this trip may help to understand what she could do better after returning to the United States in order to normalize dialogue between peoples.
Crimea rejoined Russia in 2014 after 97 percent of the peninsula's residents voted in favor of the move in a referendum. The reunification was not recognized by Ukraine or Western states, which subsequently imposed economic and political sanctions on Moscow.
READ MORE: Ukraine Launches Criminal Cases Against German Lawmakers for Visiting Crimea
Russia has repeatedly stated that the referendum was conducted in compliance with international law.
Despite the sanctions, a number of delegations from dozens of countries, including Germany, France and Italy, have repeatedly visited Crimea.
