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"Crimea is Ukraine": Biden condemns Russian aggression on 7th anniversary of annexation

26 February 2021
 Dan Ackermann

President Biden reaffirmed U.S. support for the people of Ukraine and vowed to hold Russia accountable for its aggression in a statement on Thursday, the 7th anniversary of Russia's 2014 invasion of Crimea.

Why it matters: The statement reflects the aggressive approach Biden is taking to Russia, which he classified on the campaign trail as an "opponent" and "the biggest threat" to U.S. security and alliances.

  • It's also a departure from his most recent predecessors, who avoided direct confrontation with the Kremlin.
  • Former President Trump reportedly told G7 leaders in 2018 that Crimea is Russian because the people who live there speaks Russian, and frequently blamed former President Obama for being "outsmarted" by Putin during the 2014 invasion.

What they're saying: "The United States continues to stand with Ukraine and its allies and partners today, as it has from the beginning of this conflict.  On this somber anniversary, we reaffirm a simple truth: Crimea is Ukraine," Biden said in a statement.

  • "The United States does not and will never recognize Russia’s purported annexation of the peninsula, and we will stand with Ukraine against Russia’s aggressive acts," he continued.
  • "The United States still believes in the promise of Ukraine and we support all those working towards a peaceful, democratic, and prosperous future for their country."

The big picture: Biden held his first call with Russian President Vladimir Putin last month, using the conversation as an opportunity to press the Russian leader on the arrest of opposition leader Alexey Navalny and the Russia-linked hack on U.S. government agencies.

  • Beyond Crimea and the war in eastern Ukraine, Biden must also confront the Kremlin on a range of issues, including its interference in U.S. elections and allegations of bounties on U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
  • Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is hoping to reset the U.S.-Ukraine relationship under the new administration and with President Biden — whom he has yet to meet. Biden was in charge of the Obama administration's Ukraine policy as vice president and championed anti-corruption forms.

Go deeper: Biden's Russia challenge

Transcripts show George Floyd told police "I can't breathe" over 20 times

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Newly released transcripts of bodycam footage from the Minneapolis Police Department show that George Floyd told officers he could not breathe more than 20 times in the moments leading up to his death.

Why it matters: Floyd's killing sparked a national wave of Black Lives Matter protests and an ongoing reckoning over systemic racism in the United States. The transcripts "offer one the most thorough and dramatic accounts" before Floyd's death, The New York Times writes.

The state of play: The transcripts were released as former officer Thomas Lane seeks to have the charges that he aided in Floyd's death thrown out in court, per the Times. He is one of four officers who have been charged.

  • The filings also include a 60-page transcript of an interview with Lane. He said he "felt maybe that something was going on" when asked if he believed that Floyd was having a medical emergency at the time.

What the transcripts say:

  • Floyd told the officers he was claustrophobic as they tried to get him into the squad car.
  • The transcripts also show Floyd saying, "Momma, I love you. Tell my kids I love them. I'm dead."
  • Former officer Derek Chauvin, who had his knee on Floyd's neck for over eight minutes, told Floyd, "Then stop talking, stop yelling, it takes a heck of a lot of oxygen to talk."

Read the transcripts via DocumentCloud.