US “does not recognize Russia’s annexation in violation of international law”
Willingness to recapture Zelensky “I will return to Crimea”
CIA director “Putin is overconfident in victory”
On the 26th, on the 9th anniversary of the Russian invasion of Crimea, the US State Department declared, “Crimea is Ukrainian territory.” It emphasized its will to support Ukraine, which is pursuing the restoration of Crimea beyond the recapture of Donbass in eastern Ukraine occupied by Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also stressed his will to recapture the same day, saying, “I will return to Crimea.”
U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price said on the same day, “Russia’s occupation of Crimea nine years ago is a clear violation of international law.” The 26th is the “Day of Resistance to the Occupation of Crimea” designated by Ukraine to honor the locals who resisted Russia during the forcible annexation of Crimea. On February 26, 2014, thousands of Crimean residents protested against the forced annexation. The next day, Russia seized the Crimean parliament by force and reached this day.
CIA Director William Burns (pictured) appeared on CBS on the 26th and said, “Russian President Vladimir Putin is overconfident that he can bring down Ukraine. He believes that when the West’s political fatigue builds up, he will win the war.”
“Putin treats America as if it has ‘attention deficit disorder’. He thinks that one day the United States will move on to other issues (except for Ukraine).” It means that the United States will focus on the 2024 US presidential election and the competition for supremacy with China, not Ukraine, and are aiming for that time. Regarding the recent increase in observations that China will provide arms support to Russia, he said, “We are seriously considering it, but it seems that a decision has not yet been finalized.”
On the 25th, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) diagnosed that China’s move to mediate the war by calling for peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine is similar to that of the six-party talks on the North Korean nuclear issue. China pretended to be a mediator on the outside, but it was lukewarm in obtaining concessions from North Korea, and this means that it will only side with Russia this time. The WSJ pointed out that “the six-party talks dragged on for years and eventually failed when North Korea withdrew from the talks in 2009.”
According to The Times on the 26th, President Zelensky appeared in the documentary ‘Year’ on the first year of the war and said, “As Russia loses the war, President Putin’s vulnerabilities will be exposed and he will turn his back on those around him.” . However, the timing is difficult to predict, he added.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.