Trump: “Crimea will stay with Russia”

In a newly published interview with Time magazine, US President Donald Trump stated that “Crimea will stay with Russia,” signaling his belief that Ukraine must make territorial concessions to end the war, even as the country remains under relentless attack.

“Zelenskyy understands that,” Trump said, referring to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. “And everybody understands that it’s been with them for a long time.”

Trump accused Zelenskyy of prolonging the war by refusing to negotiate with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He added, “They’ve had their submarines there for long before any period that we’re talking about, for many years. The people speak largely Russian in Crimea. But this was given by Obama. This wasn’t given by Trump.”

Trump’s remarks come as senior US officials warn that the administration may reconsider its continued support for Ukraine if no diplomatic settlement is reached soon. Such a shift could include scaling back vital US military aid.

Crimea is a strategic peninsula in southern Ukraine along the Black Sea. It was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014 during Barack Obama’s presidency, years before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. President Zelenskyy has consistently stated that recognizing occupied Ukrainian territories, including Crimea, as part of Russia is a red line that Ukraine will not cross.