Trump May Concede Crimea to Russia, Ending Decade of U.S. Resistance

During President Trump’s first term, Ukraine was concerned that he might recognize Russia's control over Crimea, a territory annexed by Moscow in 2014. As a candidate, Trump expressed cautious optimism but later distanced himself from previous U.S. policy, even mentioning that Crimea residents preferred Russia. Despite this, Trump never acted to restore Ukrainian territorial integrity and instead reaffirmed nonrecognition under Pompeo’s “Crimea Declaration.” Now, amid efforts to end the conflict with Russia, Trump is considering abandoning this commitment, effectively relaxing decades of U.S. policy on Crimea.