Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys insists there should be no recognition of Russia’s claims to Crimea because this would undermine international law and send a message to aggressors that they can keep occupied territories.
“There are various ways of looking at it,” he said about the ongoing negotiations between the US and Russia over ending the war in Ukraine, “but until there is a final agreement, I would still classify it as speculation.”
However, he added, reports that President Donald Trump considers recognising Russia’s claim to Crimea, which it has been in control of since 2014, are “considerations outside international law”.
“There can be no discussion about it, it is a dangerous place, because it sends a message that if you occupy a territory and keep it for some years, you can claim its legal ownership,” Budrys told the radio Žinių Radijas on Thursday.
“By questioning the principles of international law, by questioning the issue of Crimea’s status, we are opening a hell from which devils will crawl out that no one will contain, and this will mean that the US’ influence and ability to set certain rules, which derive from its enormous hyper-power, will be dramatically diminished,” he said.
The Financial Times reported on Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested freezing the conflict at its current front line.
The Russian leader has indicated that he would be prepared to withdraw Moscow’s claims to parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia, four regions that are partially occupied by Moscow.
In return, the US may agree to other important Russian demands, including recognition of Russian sovereignty over the Crimean peninsula, annexed in 2014, and guarantees that that Ukraine will not be in NATO, according to the FT.
President Trump said that Crimea “was lost years ago” and is not even up for debate.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky responded by posting on social media the 2018 ‘Crimea Declaration’ by Trump’s then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, which states that Washington rejects Russia’s attempted annexation of Crimea.
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