‘SOONER OR LATER’

Ukraine in Talks to Use Western Weapons to Take Back Crimea, Official Says

“Russia will have to leave Crimea if they wish to exist as a country,” Ukraine’s deputy defense minister was quoted saying.

Ukraine is in talks about using Western weapons to target Russia’s Black Sea fleet and ultimately take back Crimea, according to The Times. “Russia will have to leave Crimea if they wish to exist as a country,” Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Volodymyr Havrylov was quoted saying during an event in London on Monday. “We have a permanent threat from the Russian Black Sea fleet. Given the new technologies and capabilities we receive, we have to address this threat,” he told the Times, adding that, “We are ready to target them all over the Black Sea if we have that capability.” While the Biden administration has said Ukraine provided “assurances” they won’t use American-supplied weapons systems against targets on Russian territory, Havrylov said Ukrainian officials are in talks on whether they can use the weapons to hit Russian forces in occupied Crimea. “Sooner or later we will have enough resources to target Russia in the Black Sea and Crimea. Crimea is Ukrainian territory, that’s why any target there is legitimate for us,” he said.