Ben Hodges, former commander of NATO forces in Europe, told Newsweek that Ukraine and the West want control of Crimea in order to control trade routes through the Black Sea.
According to him, thanks to Crimea, Russia dominates the entire northern coast of the Black Sea, so Washington and Brussels need to control the region.
He added: “This is important not only because we want Ukraine to have an economy. This is also important for the European Union. If you take a step back, turn your back on Crimea and look at the Black Sea, it becomes painfully clear that Russia can ban any vessel from entering and leaving Ukrainian ports.
Earlier, the Washington Post reported that the US intelligence community considers it unlikely that Ukraine will be able to control Crimea this summer.
Source: News