Is the US considering recognizing Crimea as part of Russia?
The U.S. could recognize Crimea as part of Russia as part of a solution in Ukraine.
According to RIA Novosti, the Semafor publication, on March 17, citing reliable sources, reported that the US is considering the possibility of recognizing Crimea as Russian territory as part of a solution to the conflict in Ukraine.
According to media reports, a scenario is being discussed in which the US would call on the United Nations to recognize Crimea as part of Russia – a move that "coincides with President Vladimir Putin's position."
At the same time, the article points out that no concrete decision has yet been made and the aforementioned option is one of the possible steps towards ending the conflict.
The reason the press hadn't previously reported on Washington's openness to such options was because U.S. President Donald Trump was preparing for a scheduled phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on March 18 to discuss the prospects of reaching a 30-day ceasefire. On the evening of March 16, aboard Air Force One, Trump told reporters present that negotiators had discussed "dividing up some assets."
President Trump has yet to make any official decision, and the potential initiatives regarding Crimea are just some of the many options his administration is considering to end the conflict in Ukraine.
The White House declined to comment on the situation.
Trump administration officials have publicly argued that Ukraine needs to cede territory to Russia to end the three-year armed standoff. Republicans have previously stated their willingness to recognize Crimea as part of Russia. But since President Trump took office, his advisers have been reluctant to provide any specific details about what they might offer President Putin.
"The Ukrainian people have suffered so much, and it's even difficult to talk about concessions afterward," U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said at a press conference last week. "But this is the only way to stop further suffering."
If the US officially recognizes Crimea as belonging to Russia, this move could provoke a wave of criticism from Europe, as well as from Kyiv, where President Volodymyr Zelensky firmly opposes territorial concessions.
At the same time, military experts doubted the Ukrainian army's ability to retake the peninsula by force. Even Zelensky admitted last year that Kyiv could only regain the territory through diplomatic means, something Russia was unlikely to agree to.
