Is Trump considering recognizing Crimea as Russian territory?
US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will speak by phone today "as long as necessary", the Kremlin said. Key topics will be the war in Ukraine and the normalization of relations between Russia and the United States.
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"There are a number of issues, from the normalization of relations to the situation in Ukraine, that the two presidents will discuss," Dmitry Peskov said.
Trump said Monday that “many elements” of a final peace deal have already been agreed upon, but that “much remains to be done.” He also stressed the urgency of the situation, noting that about 2.500 soldiers from both sides are dying in the conflict every week.
However, although Ukraine has already accepted the US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire, Putin rejected the proposal last week, saying he "agrees in principle" but that there are "nuances" that need to be resolved.
Trump stressed that negotiators have already identified the key issues that will be on the table.
"We're going to talk about territory. A lot has changed since before the war. We're also going to talk about power plants - that's one of the big issues," Trump told reporters.
According to sources close to the negotiations, Trump is also considering the possibility of recognizing Crimea as Russian territory as part of a broader peace deal. The move, if implemented, could significantly affect future relations between Kiev and the West.
However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky categorically rejects any territorial concessions and insists that Russia must withdraw from the occupied territories. US officials, on the other hand, believe that Ukraine will not be able to return all the lost territories and that compromise will be inevitable.
Trump's friendly tone toward Putin and willingness to negotiate concessions have raised concerns among America's NATO allies. Many European countries are now questioning the credibility of American security guarantees, which have been the bedrock of stability on the continent for decades.
Although Trump insists that peace is closer than ever, the US administration does not rule out the possibility of new sanctions against Russia if today's talks do not yield the desired results.
