According to a Bloomberg report, US President Trump is considering recognizing Crimea as Russian – a move that could exacerbate geopolitical tensions. Kiev remains firm.

Washington, April 19, 2025 – The US foreign policy stance could change drastically: According to the news agency Bloomberg, citing insider sources, US President Donald Trump is considering officially recognizing the Crimean Peninsula, annexed by Russia in 2014, as Russian territory. This would be a radical break with previous US policy – and a geopolitical signal with far-reaching consequences.

The German daily newspaper BILD also picked up on the reports on Friday, quoting Trump’s alleged consideration of anchoring this recognition as “part of a deal” in a future peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine. The aim, according to the report, is a rapid ceasefire in the war that has been going on for over two years.

A unilateral compromise? Ukraine has reacted cautiously so far

The Ukrainian government has not yet officially commented on the speculation. However, recognition of the annexation of Crimea is considered a red line in Kiev. President Volodymyr Zelensky and his government have repeatedly emphasized that there can be no peace solution that involves permanently ceding Ukrainian territory, including Crimea, to Russia. Western countries, including the EU and the previous US administration, have also categorically rejected recognition, as reported repeatedly by Reuters, among others.

Trump: Pressure on both sides – or a pretext for withdrawal?

According to Bloomberg, Trump said internally that he would only continue his mediation efforts if both sides showed a willingness to compromise. If that were not the case, he said he would “not waste any more time.” During a campaign rally, Trump recently hinted several times that he wanted to “end the war within 24 hours,” as CNN also mentioned in a background analysis – a promise that many observers consider populist and unrealistic.

Criticism: Dangerous precedent with a signal effect

Foreign policy experts warn that US recognition of the annexation of Crimea would set a dangerous precedent. BILD quotes voices from European diplomatic circles who see this as an attack on international law. The concern is that other authoritarian states could feel encouraged by such a move to shift borders by force without having to reckon with international resistance.

The Ukrainian government had already emphasized in an official position paper in 2023 that it would not “give up a single square meter of national territory” – including Crimea, which has been under Moscow’s administration since its occupation by Russian troops but is internationally recognized as part of Ukraine.

Conclusion: Symbolic politics or a genuine change of course?

It is still unclear whether Trump’s considerations are part of a concrete foreign policy plan or merely tactical saber rattling. However, the discussion has been opened – and the world is watching Washington with growing concern.

Image:
Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons