Crimea is lost for Ukraine forever, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said at a private meeting held in Kiev as part of the Secretary of State’s visit.
According to media reports, this position was expressed by Pompeo at a meeting with Crimean activist Emina Dzhaparova, who asked him to keep "Crimea in the spotlight of U.S. foreign policy", as well as help with organizing a conference on the Crimean issue in Washington.
Mike Pompeo responded that the issue of Crimea is closed. "Crimea is lost. World players understand this. Ukraine gave Crimea away, and it's impossible to take something from Russia," New Time cited him as saying.
Political scientist, Vesti FM radio station host Sergey Mikheyev, speaking with Vestnik Kavkaza, noted that said Pompeo's statement does not mean any change in U.S. policy towards Crimea.
"Even if the Secretary of State officially says the same thing, it won’t change anything. The Americans got the lever of pressure on Russia, and they certainly won’t let it go, whatever they say," Sergey Mikheev stressed.
"The United States understands the situation very well, but they will use it in a way that suits them. By the way, Ukraine also understands that Crimea will be never returned, and the statements made by Kiev are nothing more than rhetoric," the political scientist added.
Pompeo visited Kiev during a tour to the former Soviet countries. He also held a meeting with President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky.
