McCain to Russia: Return Crimea and leave eastern Ukraine

Senator McCain has laid down concrete conditions to Putin.

Senator John McCain, the chairman of the US Senate Committee on Armed Services, said he would apply efforts to make assistance to Ukraine more significant, the Ukrainian Service of RFE/RL informs.

John McCain noted that he would do everything possible for the issue to remain on the agenda not only in regard to Ukraine, which is a persuasive argument itself, but also with the regard to the future of the Baltic states, Moldova and other countries in the region.

The chairman of the Senate Committee on Armed Services says the only variant he can see is that Russia should return Crimea to Ukraine and leave eastern Ukraine. Only after that we can talk about the Finlandisation of Ukraine, he adds.

In late February 2014, unmarked troops from Russia and Russian naval bases in Crimea occupied the Crimean Peninsula.

On March 16, 2014, the so called referendum on the region's status was held in Crimea and Sevastopol. As a result, Russia declared Crimea to be a part of the Russian Federation. Ukraine, the EU and the US did not recognise the referendum and said Crimea was annexed by Russia.

The United States and the European Union imposed economic sanctions on Russia. The West continues to insist that Crimea is a part of Ukraine.