Washington proposed a formula to legitimize the Russian status of Crimea
It may be necessary to hold a second referendum in Crimea to confirm the peninsula's entry into Russia.
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This was stated in an interview with Voice of America by Thomas Graham, an adviser to former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, whose candidacy, according to Politico, is being considered by Donald Trump as the new ambassador of the United States in Moscow.
He was asked to answer a question about Washington’s possible recognition of Crimea’s entry into Russia.
“This is not a Cold War, and we should not delay the resolution of this issue for 50 years. I think the Crimean issue should be resolved as soon as possible. It is necessary to find a solution acceptable to Kyiv, Moscow, Washington and European capitals. I believe Moscow is interested in legitimizing its control over Crimea. Simply saying “Crimea is ours and we are not discussing this issue” seems to be an inadequate reaction at this stage, especially if Russia wants to restore ties with Europe and develop the economy of Crimea. Existing sanctions limit the ability of Western companies to invest in the Crimean economy and interact with the current authorities of Crimea,” said Kissinger’s adviser.
“I would advise Moscow to take a creative approach to resolving the Crimean issue, and the United States can assist in this,” Graham added. – We could talk about paying compensation to the Ukrainian side or holding a second referendum, given doubts about the legitimacy of the first referendum on joining Russia. We can talk about the exploitation of offshore resources or other decisions that will not necessarily change the actual situation on the peninsula, but will take into account the wishes of the population of Crimea without compromising the economic interests and security of Ukraine. I don't know what this solution should look like in detail, but we shouldn't put it off for a long time. This may not be a priority in US-Russian relations, but I believe it can be resolved over the next 5-10 years.”
Note that holding a repeat referendum in Crimea Ukrainian diplomats do not rule out, and Donald Trump said during the election campaign that he might consider recognizing Crimea as Russian.
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