SEVASTOPOL, May 22. /TASS/. Kiev's claims that Crimea and Sevastopol still belong to Ukraine are trumped up and false, and Washington’s attempts to use weapons targeting the peninsula can only lead to the conflict’s escalation, Yekaterina Altabayeva, a member of Russia’s Federation Council from Sevastopol, told TASS on Monday.

Adviser to the head of the Ukrainian presidential office Mikhail Podolyak stated on his Twitter account earlier in the day that "Crimea is an indisputable and inseparable part of Ukraine. It was, it is and it will be."

Altabayeva stated later that "Their argument [that Crimea and Sevastopol belong to Ukraine] is trumped up, cynical, and false."

"Crimea was not a part of the Ukrainian territory for almost 10 years, and in terms of the legal status that it exercised before we were part of the Russian Federation, Sevastopol was not a legal entity of Ukraine," she continued.

"All of the events in the 1990s led to this complicated geopolitical crisis, as a result of which the Soviet Union’s borders were altered, but they were formally changed. The Crimea and Sevastopol have always been part of the Russian world, particularly Sevastopol," Altabayeva added.

According to her, the city of Sevastopol was earlier slumped in terms of its infrastructure and economy attractiveness under the Ukrainian state administration. She pointed out to changes that took place to the city over the past 10 years and emphasized the contribution of Russia, which has invested greatly in the development of Sevastopol.

Altbayeva also stated that the US administration doesn’t think about the consequences about American supplies of arms to fuel the conflict on the territory of Ukraine.

US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told CNN on May 21 that the United States had set no restrictions on the use of its weapons by Ukraine for strikes against Crimea

"The US pursues its geopolitical goals, but its’ current leadership is unaware of consequences for the world, and the armed escalation as well as of the Ukrainian regime’s continued armament deliveries," she said.

March 16, 2023 marked nine years since the Crimean referendum, where the majority of citizens of Crimea and Sevastopol voted in favor of reunification with Russia.

After Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich was ousted in a coup in February 2014, mass protests erupted in Crimea and eastern Ukraine. On March 11, 2014, Crimea’s Supreme Council and Sevastopol City Council adopted a declaration of independence.

On March 15, 2014, the Crimean authorities held a referendum on reuniting with Russia. Most voters supported the idea (96.77% in Crimea and 95.6% in the city of Sevastopol), with a turnout of nearly 80%.

On March 18, 2014, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the treaty on Crimea’s reunification with Russia. Ukraine, the United States and the European Union refused to recognize Crimea’s independence and its decision to reunite with Russia.