The head of the Pentagon did not answer the senator’s question on whether Ukraine should reclaim Crimea to end the war

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin did not respond to a question from American lawmaker Eric Schmitt on whether Ukraine should regain Crimea to end the war.

This occurred during the Pentagon chief’s appearance before the U.S. Senate, where further assistance to Kyiv was being discussed.

When Republican Senator Schmitt asked about what victory for Kyiv should look like, Austin replied that Ukraine should be a “democratic and independent country” that “can defend its sovereign territory and repel aggression.”

Schmitt then asked for clarification: does this mean that Ukraine should control Crimea? “Crimea is part of Ukraine,” Austin replied.

“But for the war to end, should Ukraine control Crimea?” the senator repeated the question. “From the perspective of the changing situation as it progresses, I wouldn’t want to predict what President Zelensky will decide,” Austin evasively responded.

To this, Schmitt stated that the Biden administration has not outlined the goals and strategy for ending the war.

“To me, this is a carte blanche for a war that, without any clearly defined goals, will be endless. Hence, the skepticism. I did not vote for the aid package because we do not have sufficient control over how the funds are spent. And victory is not defined,” the senator declared.