Speaker of Duma says statements on Crimea contradict Trump’s campaign promises

The White House’s statements on the return of the Crimea to Ukraine stand in contradiction to President Donald Trump’s campaign promises, said the Speaker of the Duma Vyacheslav Volodin at a parliamentary session on Wednesday morning.

“Let us wait for the direct words of the US president. [Frankly,] one must generally start by fulfilling campaign promises,” said Volodin, recalling that during his campaign Trump promised to rebuild relations with Russia.

“Crimea is a part of Russia. Any rhetoric aimed at alienating [part of] our territory ... is an infringement on our [territorial] integrity,” said Volodin. The speaker also urged people to avoid reacting to the words of “some” spokesperson.

On February 14, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said that President Donald Trump “has made it very clear that he expects the Russian government to de-escalate the violence in the Ukraine and return Crimea.”

During his election campaign, Trump said that he did not approve of Russia’s policy in Ukraine, but that any attempt to return Crimea could lead to World War III.