US to propose recognising Crimea as Russian territory in peace talks

At a meeting with its European allies in London on Wednesday, the United States will propose recognising Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea and freezing the front lines of the war, the Washington Post reported Tuesday, citing insider information.

The US proposal was reportedly presented to Ukraine during talks in Paris last Thursday. The US would formally recognise Crimea as Russian territory and gradually lift sanctions, while Russia would cease fighting in return.

One Western official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Post that the US pressure on Ukraine in Paris was "astounding". As the peace talks enter a new phase, French, British and German diplomats hope to persuade the US on Wednesday that any agreement must be accompanied by security guarantees for Ukraine and a vision for rebuilding the country.

On Monday, US secretary of state Marc Rubio said that president Donald Trump was threatening to completely abandon Ukraine if an agreement was not reached very soon. But recognising the illegal annexation of Crimea would be a particularly bitter pill for Ukraine to swallow. 

Officially, Kyiv says Crimea is still Ukrainian territory, but that its army lacks the resources and manpower to retake the peninsula. It has been in Russian hands since 2014, following an illegitimate referendum organised by Moscow.

^{A Russian flag flies in front of the Glory Obelisk on Mithridat Mountain in Kerch, a city on the Kerch peninsula in the east of Crimea © SERGEI MALGAVKO / TASS / SIPA USA}