Trump ‘is set to recognise Russian control over Crimea and other occupied Ukrainian territories in bid to secure deal with Putin to end war’
Donald Trump is said to be preparing to recognize Russia’s control over Crimea and other occupied Ukrainian territories in a bid to secure a deal with Vladimir Putin to end the war.
According to The Telegraph, officials close to the talks say that the US president sent peace envoy Steve Witkoff with his son-in-law Jared Kushner to convey the proposal to Putin in Moscow.
The move would mark the most dramatic shift in US policy towards the conflict since Russia seized Crimea in 2014 and risks a major divide with European governments that have repeatedly rejected any peace plans that include territorial concessions.
An official briefed on Witkoff and Kushner’s approach told the publication: ‘It is becoming increasingly clear that the Americans do not care about the European position. They say Europeans can do whatever they want.’
Yesterday, the Russian leader signaled that recognition of the Kremlin’s territorial claims would be a key demand in any negotiations on Trump’s peace initiative.
He said that Washington’s recognition of Russia’s sovereignty over Crimea as well as the Donetsk and Luhansk regions will constitute the main issues of the negotiations.
The Kremlin on Friday confirmed it had received an amended US proposal following urgent talks between Ukrainian and American officials in Geneva last weekend.
This meeting took place after Witkoff presented a 28-article draft to Russian officials proposing ‘de facto’ recognition of Russia’s control over Crimea and the occupied Donbas regions.
Donald is said to be preparing to formally recognize Russia’s control over Crimea and other claimed territories in Ukraine
Jared Kushner (left) and Steve Witkoff at the White House in September. It is said that the two will go to Moscow to present the plan to Putin
Firefighters extinguished a fire after a Russian drone crashed into a residential building on November 25. Trump’s move is said to aim to end the war in Ukraine, which has been ongoing since 2022.
His draft also proposed full recognition of Russian-held territory behind the current line of contact in Kherson and Zaporizhia after the ceasefire.
US and Ukrainian officials later revised the document into a shorter 19-point plan, which Kiev described as less advantageous to Moscow.
But people familiar with the exchange are said to insist that the issue of US recognition remains within the American framework.
Ukraine continues to insist that it cannot legally cede any part of its territory. According to the Ukrainian constitution, no president is allowed to give away land without a nationwide referendum.
President Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, who helped negotiate the updated proposal, reiterated his view in an interview with The Atlantic: ‘Not a single sane person today would sign a document to give up territory.
‘As long as Zelensky is president, no one should trust us to give up land. He will not sign the territory. The Constitution prohibits this. ‘No one can do this unless they want to go against the Ukrainian constitution and the Ukrainian people.’
Yermak and Ukraine’s national security adviser Rustam Umerov are expected to travel to Florida in the coming days for further talks at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago base.
It is reported that the last agreement with America left the most sensitive sections, especially regional consequences, blank, and if this situation happens, it will only be resolved in a face-to-face meeting between Zelensky and Trump.
The US bid to legitimize Russia’s territorial gains could put Washington at odds with European governments that have maintained a unified diplomatic stance since 2014.
Following a meeting of the coalition supporting Ukraine this week, members said: ‘They were clear on the principle that borders should not be changed by force.
‘This remains one of the fundamental principles of maintaining stability and peace in Europe and beyond.’
Vladimir Putin insists territorial concessions will be key to any bid to end the war
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected demands to give up Ukrainian territory
A resident walks in front of a burning building set on fire by Russian drone strikes. European governments insist territorial concessions should not form the basis of any peace plan
The European counter-offer to the Americans is said to have removed any reference to recognition of Russian control and instead stated: ‘Territorial issues will be discussed and resolved following a complete and unconditional armistice.’
The European Union, the United Kingdom, the United States and much of the international community have refused to recognize Russia’s annexation of Crimea since 2014 and also reject Russia’s claims to the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia regions in 2022.
Official US recognition of Russian sovereignty over the occupied territories would break decades of American diplomatic doctrine.
Washington refused to recognize the Soviet annexation of the Baltic states during the Cold War, a stance that has often served as a point of reference during the current conflict.
Any changes could also undermine the Western sanctions architecture established after the invasion, many of which are linked to Russia’s illegal annexations.
Analysts have also expressed concern that this could also complicate Ukraine’s long-term security agreements with European governments that assume existing borders.
Moscow’s insistence on retaining all the territory it claims, including areas where fighting continues, shows that the Kremlin is not ready to make territorial concessions to secure peace.
