The interlocutors emphasized that the final decision on this matter has not yet been made. The White House and the Department of State did not respond to the request for comment.
Bloomberg assesses the possibility of such a concession as the latest signal that US President Donald Trump's administration depends on achieving a suspension of a weapon, while the Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested that Washington may give up attempts to bring to peace if there is no quick progress in the negotiations.
Russia has been occupying Crimea for over a decade
The Crimean Peninsula, which is part of Ukraine, was occupied by Russia in 2014, and then formally attached as a result of a referendum, assessed by Kiev and the West for illegal. The international community did not recognize the Peninsula as part of Russia, so as not to legitimize the illegal annexation.
The recognition of Crimea as Russian carries the risk of weakening the importance of international agreements that prohibit the force of territories forcibly – Bloomberg emphasized. The President of Ukraine Wołodymyr Zelanski repeatedly repeated that he did not intend to give Crimea Moscow.
Such a decision would be beneficial for the Russian leader Vladimir Putin, who has been seeking international recognition for Russian control over Crimea for years. So far, Putin did not agree to Trump's proposal regarding a wide peace agreement.
On Thursday in Paris, the US delegation presented to the allies a proposal for the end of the war in Ukraine. Bloomberg gave on Friday, citing anonymous sources, that the American plan was based on freezing war and sanctioning against Russia if the truce turned out to be lasting. The admission of Ukraine to NATO would also be excluded.
