Will never return Crimea, Russia tells US

Kremlin says it will get in touch with White House to improve ties which are in ‘lamentable state’

‘WE WILL NOT GIVE BACK OUR OWN TERRITORY’

RUSSIA SAID on Wednesday it would not hand back Crimea to Ukraine or discuss the matter with foreign partners after the White House said US President Donald Trump expected the annexed Black Sea peninsula to be returned.

Moscow says an overwhelming majority of Crimeans voted to become part of Russia in a 2014 referendum wanting protection from what the Kremlin cast as an illegal coup in Kiev.

Ukraine says the referendum was a sham held at gunpoint after Russian troops illegally annexed the peninsula, that Russiafriendly president Viktor Yanukovych was ousted by people power, and that Moscow should return Crimea.

“We don’t give back our own territory. Crimea is territory belonging to the Russian Federation,” Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, said.

The 2014 annexation prompted the US and the EU to impose sanctions on Russia, plunging Western relations with the Kremlin to their worst level since the Cold War.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer said Tuesday that Trump wanted to get along with Russia, but was expecting Moscow to hand Crimea back.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, when asked about Spicer’s comments, said President Vladimir Putin had already explained why Crimeans had turned to Russia. “The theme of returning Crimea will not be discussed ... Russia does not discuss its territorial integrity with foreign partners,” Peskov told reporters.

Trump had not raised the Crimean issue in a January 28 phone call with Putin, Peskov noted, saying the Kremlin would try to make contacts with the Trump administration to try to improve ties which he said were in “a lamentable state.”

Vyacheslav Volodin, speaker of the State Duma, the lower house of Parliament, told MPS any talk of Crimea’s status amounted to a challenge to Russia’s territorial integrity.

Volodin, a close Putin ally, told the Interfax news agency Trump had promised in his election campaign to work to improve relations with Russia.

“Let’s wait for some firsthand words from the US President,” said Volodin.

A warning for NATO

Meanwhile, Donald Trump’s defence secretary warned NATO allies Wednesday they must honour military spending pledges to ensure the US does not “moderate” support for the alliance.

Jim Mattis, on his debut trip to Brussels as Pentagon chief, also accused some nations of ignoring threats, including from Russia. “America cannot care more for your children’s future security than you do,” Mattis said in closed-door remarks to NATO defence ministers, according to prepared remarks provided to reporters.

Mattis said investing in common defence was vital, given the challenges that have emerged since 2014.

Trump was sharply critical of NATO during his election campaign, making European allies nervous by calling the alliance obsolete and praising Russian President Vladimir Putin.

But Trump has since said he strongly supported NATO.

AP Donald Trump had not raised the Crimean issue in a January 28 phone call with Vladimir Putin, Kremlin said.