The U.S. ambassador to Ukraine said Russian troops could be expelled from more regions they had occupied, which raises the prospect of Moscow losing Crimea.
A debate has reportedly emerged within NATO circles over the possibility Ukraine could seize the momentum in its fight against Russia and take back Crimea and the Donbas region. Following Russia’s withdrawal from the Kyiv region to focus on the Donbas in Ukraine’s east, NATO expects a «standstill for a while», an unnamed alliance official said. But in comments also reported by Ukrainian media, the official told CNN: «I think [Ukraine] could [retake Crimea and the Donbas], yes. Not now, not soon, but if they can keep up the fight I think so.»
Talk of the future of Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014, was ramped up by Kyiv on Monday. It leapt upon a statement by Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, who said Moscow had «no territorial disputes» with Finland or Sweden, which are seeking to join NATO. However, Peskov did say that Ukraine joining the bloc would mean Russia would have a «territorial dispute» with an alliance member. Oleksiy Arestovych, an advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky, said this was a significant change in language, with local news outlet Unian reporting that it suggested Russia is «morally preparing the population for the surrender of the peninsula.»
Arestovych said that previously Crimea was not considered a «territorial dispute» for Moscow and that its status as part of Russia, which the world community disputes, had been secured by a «referendum of the people.
