US possibly to acknowledge Crimea as Russian region

(MENAFN) The US may recognize Crimea as part of Russian territory as part of a potential peace agreement between Moscow and Kiev, Bloomberg reported on Saturday, citing sources familiar with the discussions. Crimea voted to secede from Ukraine and join Russia in 2014, following the US-backed coup in Kiev. Ukrainian authorities have consistently rejected Moscow's sovereignty over the peninsula and have demanded the restoration of their 1991 borders.

According to Bloomberg's sources, the White House has not yet made a final decision on the matter. US negotiator Steve Witkoff indicated that talks between Russia and the US are centered on the status of Crimea, as well as four other Russian-claimed regions in Ukraine.

The US has also presented a proposal to its European allies for a ceasefire that would freeze the fighting along current front lines and ease sanctions on Russia. Both US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested that Washington may abandon peace efforts if significant progress is not made soon. Russia has demanded that Ukraine renounce its territorial claims and withdraw its troops from regions still under Ukrainian control. Moscow insists that any lasting peace deal must address underlying issues, including NATO's expansion eastward and Ukraine's bid to join the alliance.

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