Russia has finally lost opportunity to return Ukraine to empire - Volker

The Kremlin's attempts to bring Ukraine under its influence and make it part of a "Russian Empire" will not succeed, because the Ukrainian people will not want this, U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations Kurt Volker has said.

He said this at a hearing of the U.S. Senate Foreign Affairs Committee's Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation on June 18, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"If what Russia wants is a Ukraine that is once again part of a Russian sphere of influence, a Greater Russian Empire, I believe that opportunity is lost, because the Ukrainian people will never go back there," Volker said.

He said that the United States, the European Union and other Western countries help Ukrainians fight Russian aggression.

"We have worked very hard to keep Western policy unified and strong. We and the EU have both maintained sanctions and increased sanctions. The U.S. has lifted the ban on lethal arms sales to Ukraine," Volker said.

In addition, he recalled the allocation of additional U.S. assistance to Ukraine in the field of security and defense.

"So, we are maintaining a much stronger position. I believe we have a sustainable position," he said.

op