National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told Andriy Yermak, head of the office of Ukraine's president, on Sunday that any individual or entity that is supporting Russia's annexation of Ukraine's eastern regions will face "severe" costs.
According to a statement from the White House, Sullivan and Yermak met in Istanbul on Sunday, two days after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Russia's annexations of four regions of eastern and southern Ukraine.
"Mr. Sullivan underscored the United States' steadfast support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. He conveyed that the United States and its allies and partners will not be deterred by Russia's flagrant violations of international law, including the United Nations Charter, and will impose severe costs on any individual, entity or country that provides support to Russia's purported annexation," the statement reads.
Russia's annexation comes eight months into the war between Russia and Ukraine. The U.S. has said that it will never recognize any of these annexed areas as Russian territory.
Sullivan and Yermak also reviewed the ongoing situation at Ukraine's Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, which remains occupied by Russian forces, and efforts brokered by the UN to export food from Ukrainian ports. According to the White House's statement, "Mr. Sullivan emphasized the United States is committed to supporting the Ukrainian people as they defend their sovereignty and democracy, including via the $12 billion in additional assistance that President Biden recently signed into law."
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