Donald Trump is said to be preparing to recognise Russian 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 the US president has dispatched his peace envoy, Steve Witkoff, along with his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to set out the proposal to Putin in Moscow. The move would mark the most dramatic shift in US policy toward the conflict since Russia seized Crimea in 2014 and risks a major split with European governments that have repeatedly rejected any peace plans involving territorial concessions.
One official briefed on Witkoff and Kushner’s approach told the publication: ‘It’s increasingly clear the Americans don’t care about the European position. They say the Europeans can do whatever they want.’ Yesterday, Russia’s leader signalled that recognition of the Kremlin’s territorial claims would be a key demand in any negotiations over Trump’s peace initiative. He said Washington’s acceptance of Russia’s sovereignty over Crimea, as well as the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, would form part of the core issues in talks.
On Friday, the Kremlin confirmed it had received an amended US proposal following urgent discussions between Ukrainian and American officials in Geneva last weekend. That meeting came after Witkoff presented a 28-point draft to Russian officials offering ‘de facto’ recognition of Russia’s control of Crimea and both occupied Donbas regions. His outline also suggested total recognition of Russian-held territory behind the current line of contact in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia after a ceasefire. US and Ukrainian officials subsequently reworked the document into a shorter 19-point plan, described by Kyiv as less favourable to Moscow.
But people familiar with the exchange are said to have insisted that the question of US recognition has remained inside the American framework. Ukraine continues to insist that it cannot legally hand over any part of its territory. Under the Ukrainian constitution, no president is permitted to cede land without a nationwide referendum.
In an interview with The Atlantic, Andriy Yermak, President Zelensky’s chief of staff, who helped negotiate the updated proposal, reiterated that position: ‘Not a single sane person today would sign a document to give up territory. ‘As long as Zelensky is president, no one should count on us giving up territory. He will not sign away territory. The constitution prohibits this. Nobody can do that unless they want to go against the Ukrainian constitution and the Ukrainian people.’
Yermak and Ukraine’s national security adviser Rustem Umerov are expected to travel to Florida for further talks at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago base in the coming days. The latest American deal reportedly leaves the most sensitive sections, particularly territorial outcomes, blank, to be resolved only in a face-to-face meeting between Zelensky and Trump if that occurs. A US offer to legitimise Russian territorial gains would place Washington at odds with European governments that have maintained a united diplomatic stance since 2014. After a meeting of the coalition supporting Ukraine this week, its members said: ‘They were clear on the principle that borders must not be changed by force.
‘This remains one of the fundamental principles for preserving stability and peace in Europe and beyond.’ A European counter-proposal presented to the Americans is said to remove any reference to recognising Russian control and instead states: ‘Territorial issues will be discussed and resolved after a full and unconditional ceasefire.’ The European Union, the United Kingdom, the United States and most of the international community have refused since 2014 to recognise Russia’s annexation of Crimea, and they rejected its 2022 claims to the regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.
Formal US recognition of Russian sovereignty over occupied territory would break with decades of American diplomatic doctrine. Washington refused to recognise the Soviet annexation of the Baltic states during the Cold War, and that stance has often served as a reference point during the current conflict. Any shift would also risk undermining the Western sanctions architecture created after the invasion, most of which is tied to Russia’s illegal annexations.
Analysts have also raised concerns that it could also complicate Ukraine’s long-term security agreements with European governments, which assume existing borders. Moscow’s insistence on retaining all territory it claims, including areas where fighting is ongoing, suggests the Kremlin is not prepared to make territorial concessions to secure peace. European concern has intensified further after leaked recordings revealed Witkoff coaching Russian officials on appealing to the Trump administration.
In those calls, he referred to Ukraine needing to give up Donetsk, prompting questions about whether US envoys had already signalled willingness to support Russian demands. Ukrainian officials say they still expect the most difficult issues, including the status of Crimea and the east, to remain unresolved until Trump and Zelensky speak directly. Zelensky has not yet confirmed whether he will travel to the US. (Daily Mail)
