Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Sunday, in response to a recent statement by the US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland, which considered Crimea a 'legitimate target' for Ukraine.

According to Peskov, Nuland "belongs to a very broad camp of the most aggressive 'hawks' in American politics," adding that "this is a point of view that we know well."

Furthermore, the spokesperson highlighted that such statements prove, once again, "the depth of our disagreement [US and Russia]," adding that they further demonstrate "the role of the United States as the main instigator of the international tensions that we have."

Nuland on Crimean demilitarization

It is worth noting that during a speech with the Carnegie Endowment think tank, Nuland said that  "Ukraine is not going to be safe unless Crimea is at a minimum demilitarized."

The Under Secretary further added that the US only recognized "Crimea as Ukraine" and that thus, Crimea is a "legitimate" target that Ukraine is hitting and the US is "supporting" that.

Crimea became part of Russia following a referendum held in March 2014, in which nearly 96% of Crimeans voted for accession to Russia.

While Ukraine still considers the peninsula to be its own territory, Russia has repeatedly stressed that the decision made by the Crimean people was in full compliance with international law and the UN Charter.

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