Apr 19, 2025 03:00 AM IST
Russia seized Crimea in 2014 after an invasion and disputed referendum, but most of the world refuses to recognise it to avoid legitimising the annexation.
The US is prepared to recognize Russian control of the Ukrainian region of Crimea as part of a broader peace agreement between Moscow and Kyiv, according to people familiar with the matter.
The potential concession is the latest signal that President Donald Trump is eager to cement a ceasefire deal, and comes as he and Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested on Friday that the administration is prepared to move on from its peace-brokering efforts unless progress is made quickly.
Crimea was taken by the Kremlin in 2014 following an invasion and subsequent referendum held under occupation, and the international community has resisted recognizing the peninsula as Russian to avoid legitimizing the illegal annexation.
Doing so risks undermining international laws and treaties prohibiting the taking of land through use of force. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has repeatedly said he will not cede territory to Moscow.
But the move would be a boon for Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has long sought international recognition of Russian sovereignty in Crimea. Putin so far has refused to agree to Trump’s proposal for a broad peace deal.
The people said a final decision on the matter hadn’t yet been taken. The White House and State Department did not respond to a request for comment. A US official familiar with the negotiations, asked about the possibility of recognizing Crimea, declined to comment on the details of the talks.
