Crimea is part of Ukraine, a European Commission spokesperson said today at a press conference in response to questions related to Kiev's proposal to recognize the peninsula occupied by Russia as Russian as part of the peace talks, BTA reported.
We welcome all efforts, consistent with the UN Charter, to achieve peace in Ukraine. The conditions for a lasting and just peace must be determined by Ukraine, nothing can be decided without Kiev and the EU, he added. We continue diplomatic efforts at all levels. The main issues are related to Ukrainian independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, the spokesman said.
Our goal today is for Ukraine to be strong, we continue to increase military assistance, this year EU countries have promised 23 billion euros, 2/3 of the planned ammunition for the Ukrainian side have already been delivered. The cessation of Russian military actions and the unconditional withdrawal of all Russian forces from the entire territory of Ukraine is one of the preconditions for the lifting of EU sanctions against Russia, the spokesman pointed out.
We are looking for new ways to limit Russia's ability to wage war against Ukraine, he added. The spokesman did not answer a question about what the EU would do if an ally or some foreign country recognized Crimea as Russian.