US considers recognizing Crimea as Russia's?
The US could recognize Crimea as part of Russia as part of a solution in Ukraine.
According to RIA Novosti, the Semafor publication on March 17 cited a reliable source saying 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 will call on the United Nations to recognize Crimea as part of Russia - this "coincides with the position of President Vladimir Putin".
At the same time, the article points out that no concrete decision has been made yet and the above-mentioned option is one of the possible steps towards ending the conflict.
The reason Washington’s openness to such options has not been previously reported in the press is because US President Donald Trump is preparing for a scheduled phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on March 18 to discuss the prospects of a 30-day ceasefire. On the evening of March 16, aboard the president’s Air Force One, Mr. Trump told reporters present that negotiators had discussed “dividing up some assets.”
President Trump has yet to make any formal decisions, and potential Crimea initiatives 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 must cede territory to Russia to end the three-year armed standoff. Republicans have previously said they are willing to recognize Crimea as part of Russia. But since taking office, Trump’s advisers have been reluctant to offer any specifics about what they might offer Putin.
“The Ukrainian people have suffered a lot, and it is difficult to even talk about concessions after that,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said at a press conference last week. “But this is the only way to prevent further suffering.”
If the US formally recognizes Crimea as Russian, the move is likely to trigger a wave of criticism from Europe, as well as from Kiev, where President Volodymyr Zelensky is adamantly opposed to territorial concessions.
At the same time, military experts doubt the Ukrainian army can take back the peninsula by force. Even Mr. Zelensky admitted last year that Kiev could only take back the territory through diplomatic means, something Russia is unlikely to agree to.
