On the issue of attempts to return control of the Crimean peninsula, the Ukrainian government should listen to the opinion of the population, said US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken. According to him, the counter-offensive of the Ukrainian troops could begin in the coming weeks.
“These decisions should be taken by Ukraine. Ukraine is a democracy. President Volodymyr Zelensky is responsible for leading the country. But it must also be open to the will of the Ukrainians,” Mr. Blinken said in an interview with Funke (quote from n-tv ).
The tabloid Bild, citing leading NATO analysts , reported that the goal of Ukraine’s counteroffensive would be to cut off Russia’s ground communication with Crimea, as well as advance in the Lugansk and Zaporozhye directions. According to Reuters, Ukraine is preparing 40,000 recruits for the counteroffensive.
In early March, the head of the office of the President of Ukraine, Mikhail Podolyak , said that the Ukrainian armed forces could take Crimea in five to seven months. Andriy Sibikha, deputy head of the office of the President of Ukraine , said that the Ukrainian authorities would be ready to discuss the fate of Crimea with Moscow if Ukrainian troops approached the border of the peninsula.
Source : kommersant.ru
