The United States is prepared to recognize Crimea, which is currently under Russian control, as part of Russia. This recognition could be part of a new framework proposed by the Trump administration to end the ongoing war in Ukraine, according to a source familiar with the matter who spoke to CNN.
In 2014, Russia annexed Crimea, a southern region of Ukraine, sparking tensions between the two countries. Then in 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion and partially seized four more Ukrainian regions — Donetsk and Luhansk in the east, and Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in the south.
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Ukraine has yet to issue an official response regarding the new proposal from the Trump administration. However, it is widely assumed that Kyiv will not accept any plan that recognizes Crimea as part of Russia. In March of this year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that recognizing any occupied territory as Russian is a “red line” for Ukraine.
He said, “These territories are probably among the most sensitive and difficult issues in the peace negotiations. For us, this is a clear boundary—we will not recognize any occupied Ukrainian territory as part of Russia.”
According to CNN’s source, the U.S.-proposed framework to stop the war also includes the establishment of a ceasefire based on the current frontlines. The plan was reportedly shared with European and Ukrainian representatives in Paris, France, on Thursday. Additionally, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov discussed the proposal during a telephone conversation.
Though Trump has repeatedly claimed he could end the Ukraine war in a single day, in reality, U.S. peace efforts have mostly stalled due to Russia’s rigid stance. Frustration is reportedly growing within the White House over the lack of progress.
Last Friday, Rubio warned that if no visible progress is made in the peace process, the U.S. might withdraw from the initiative within a few days. Later, Trump adopted a softer tone, agreeing with Rubio’s concerns but expressing hope that a compromise could still be reached.
Trump said, “There’s no fixed deadline, but we want to wrap this up quickly.”