U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt considers the Russian leadership's decision on Crimea's inclusion into Russia's Southern Federal District to be illegal.
The United States views this decision of Russian leadership as illegal and does not recognize the annexation of Crimea, the ambassador said during a conference call on Friday when asked to comment on the Russian president’s decree to include Crimea in the Southern Federal District of Russia.
According to him, the U.S. does not recognize redrawing of the established international borders. “Crimea is part of Ukraine,” Pyatt stressed.
As reported, on July 28, Russian President Vladimir Putin abolished the Crimean Federal District by making Crimea and Sevastopol part of the Southern Federal District. Under the president’s decree, the District now consists of Adygea, Kalmykia, Crimea, Krasnodar Territory, Astrakhan region, Volgograd region, Rostov region and Sevastopol.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry expressed its protest over such a decision, and stated that Crimea remains a Ukrainian territory.
