Bloomberg: US Might Acknowledge Crimea as Part of Russia

Following the 2014 Western-backed coup in Kiev, the peninsula voted to secede from Ukraine. According to a report early Saturday from Bloomberg, the US may recognize Crimea as Russian territory as part of a potential peace agreement between...

Bloomberg: US Might Acknowledge Crimea as Part of Russia
Following the 2014 Western-backed coup in Kiev, the peninsula voted to secede from Ukraine.

According to a report early Saturday from Bloomberg, the US may recognize Crimea as Russian territory as part of a potential peace agreement between Moscow and Kiev, citing sources familiar with the situation.

The region, which is predominantly inhabited by ethnic Russians, voted to leave Ukraine and join Russia shortly after the coup in Kiev. Ukrainian authorities have consistently refused to acknowledge Russian sovereignty over the peninsula and have maintained their position on restoring Ukraine’s borders as they were in 1991.

Bloomberg's sources indicated that the White House has not yet reached a definitive conclusion on the issue.

Steve Witkoff, the top US negotiator, noted after a recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin that discussions are centered on the status of Crimea and four other Russian regions that are claimed by Kiev.

In an ongoing effort, the US presented a plan to its European allies on Thursday, which involves freezing fighting along the current front line and potentially easing sanctions on Moscow as part of a ceasefire.

Both President Trump and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested this week that the US might withdraw its attempts to facilitate a deal between Russia and Ukraine if there is no substantial progress soon.

Russia has asserted that for lasting peace to be achieved, Ukraine needs to renounce its territorial claims and withdraw its military forces from the Russian regions that it still controls. Moscow emphasized that any future settlement must tackle “the root causes” of the conflict, which include NATO’s eastward expansion and Ukraine’s aspirations to join the alliance.

Anna Muller for TROIB News