The United States has been considering recognising Russian control over Crimea as part of a future peace agreement between Moscow and Kyiv.

Source: Bloomberg, citing unnamed informed sources familiar with the course of the talks

Details: According to the sources, the potential concession by the US has become another signal of US President Donald Trump's desire to secure a peace deal as soon as possible, especially after both he and Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed readiness to end mediation efforts if talks do not make rapid progress.

"Doing so risks undermining international laws and treaties prohibiting the taking of land through use of force," Bloomberg noted.

For the Kremlin, such an agreement would represent a strategic victory. Russia's leader Vladimir Putin has for many years sought international recognition of the annexation of Crimea, which most countries around the world consider illegal.

Bloomberg stated that this proposal is not final and requires further consultations with Kyiv. The US's European allies are categorically against any recognition of the occupied territories as Russian.

"Talks would be moot if the Kremlin didn't agree to stop the fighting, and that providing Ukraine with security guarantees to ensure that any deal holds up was essential," the sources said.

Quote: "The Paris talks also built on France-UK efforts to form a postwar 'reassurance force' in Ukraine, as well as plans to ensure that Kyiv has an adequately resourced and manned military as part of a package of security guarantees."

Details: Officials in Paris and London hope that such an initiative will demonstrate Europe's  seriousness in supporting Ukraine and persuade Trump to back these guarantees.

Background: 

• On 17 April, a meeting between the Ukrainian delegation and representatives from France, Germany and the United Kingdom took place in Paris. They discussed, among other things, a complete ceasefire, a multinational contingent and security guarantees for Ukraine during the meeting.
• An American delegation, led by Rubio and Steve Witkoff, US President Donald Trump's Special Envoy for the Middle East, also arrived in Paris to take part in the talks.
• On 18 April, Rubio stated that it is necessary to determine in "a matter of days" whether peace in Ukraine is possible, emphasising that the United States has other priorities and that it is ready to abandon efforts to achieve peace in Ukraine if in the coming days it becomes clear that no progress is being made.
• Trump said he might abandon attempts to stop the war between Ukraine and Russia if "one of the two parties makes it [the peace process – ed.] very difficult".

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