U.S. considers recognizing Crimea amid stalled peace talks
The United States is reportedly prepared to acknowledge Russian control over the Ukrainian region of Crimea as part of a broader peace agreement between Moscow and Kyiv, according to Bloomberg, which cites individuals familiar with the situation.
What you need to know
- The United States is considering recognizing Crimea as part of Russia. This step aims to accelerate negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv.
- Ukraine does not intend to relinquish Crimea. President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly stressed that he will not agree to cede this territory to Russia.
- President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have suggested that the U.S. administration is prepared to end its mediation efforts if quick progress is not made in the talks.
Will the U.S. recognize Crimea as Russian?
Potential concessions are the latest indication that President Donald Trump wants to finalize a ceasefire agreement, Bloomberg reports. On Friday, he and Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested that the administration is ready to abandon peace efforts if swift progress is not achieved.
Crimea was seized by the Kremlin in 2014 following an invasion and a referendum held under occupation. The international community opposes recognizing the peninsula as Russian and does not intend to legalize its annexation.
What are the consequences of recognizing Crimea?
Recognizing Crimea as part of Russia would undermine international law and treaties prohibiting the acquisition of territories by force. For Russian President Vladimir Putin, it would be a significant victory, as he has long sought international recognition of Russian authority over Crimea.
So far, Putin has refused to accept Trump's proposal for a broad peace agreement. Will the proposal to recognize Russian authority over Crimea change this stance?
Bloomberg's sources indicate that the final decision on this proposal has not yet been made.
The White House and the State Department did not respond to requests for comment. An American official familiar with the negotiations, when asked about the possibility of recognizing Crimea, declined to comment on the details of the talks, according to the agency.
