The head of American diplomacy, Anthony Blinken, opened the door to possible negotiations on the borders of Ukraine on Thursday, emphasizing that the decision will belong to the Ukrainians, reports AFP.

Speaking before a parliamentary committee in Washington, he reiterated that any possible peace with Russia must be “just and lasting,” that is, one that respects Ukraine’s independence and territorial integrity, but “as precision on the ground dictates, we expect that Ukrainians will tell us.”

In this way, he seems to approve of the fact that it will be difficult for Ukrainians to return all territories annexed by Russia, especially Crimea.

“I think there will be territories in Ukraine that Ukrainians will be determined to fight for on the ground, and perhaps territories that they will decide they need to try to get back in a different way,” he said.

Republican politician Chris Stewart asked Blinken if the US supports President Volodymyr Zelenskyi’s bid to return Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014.

A high-ranking diplomat, who believes that the conditions for negotiations have not been met, insisted that “these are decisions that Ukrainians must make about how they see their future and how this translates into sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of the country.”

“What we don’t want, in everyone’s interest, is for this to be resolved in a way that only encourages the Russians to reposition, rearm and strike again,” he said.

The US and its Western partners do not recognize the annexation of Crimea or the territories annexed by Russian troops in eastern Ukraine, where fierce fighting is taking place.

The US-led coalition, which provides the largest military aid to Ukraine, says it is ready to defend Ukraine as long as necessary until Russian forces withdraw, but has largely avoided Crimea.