USA they think that Crimeawhich Russia attached Ukraine it is due to be demilitarized in 2014, and Washington is supporting Ukrainian attacks on military installations on the peninsula, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland said, drawing backlash from Moscow.

“No matter what the Ukrainians decide about Crimea, in terms of where they decide to fight and so on, Ukraine will not be safe unless Crimea is demilitarized to a minimum,” Nuland told the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington. .

When asked about the risk of an escalation of the war in Ukraine, the US Deputy Secretary of State replied that Russia has many military facilities in Crimea that are critical to the war. “These are legitimate targets, Ukraine hits them, and we support it,” he stressed.

Moscow’s reaction was immediate: Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Nuland’s comments proved US involvement in the war.

Crimea joined the Russian Empire after being annexed by Catherine the Great in the 18th century. In 1921, the peninsula became part of the Soviet Union and Russia until 1954, when Nikita Khrushchev handed it over to Ukraine, then a Soviet republic.

In 1994, Russia recognized Ukraine’s sovereignty over the country’s existing borders, including Crimea.

Ukraine has said it wants to reclaim all territory annexed by Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion last February. Russia claims that any strike on Crimea could lead to a serious escalation of the war.

Ukrainian officials have welcomed attacks on Russian air and naval bases, as well as a Russian-built road and rail bridge connecting Crimea with Russia.

^{According to REUTERS}