Latest news with #CrimeaDeclaration
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Pompeo urges Trump not to legitimize Russia's land grabs in Ukraine
Former U.S. State Secretary Mike Pompeo warned against recognizing Russia's sovereignty over Crimea and other Ukrainian territories seized by force, calling it "a mistake of epic proportions" during remarks at the Black Sea Security Forum in Odesa on May 31. Pompeo acknowledged frustrations over the current front lines but cautioned against ceding Ukrainian land to Russia. "I get the frustration … I'm not naive about what's physically possible in this moment, but that doesn't mean one should go and say, 'and we are giving up for all time,'" he said, according to The Hill. "This is one of the things I hope to communicate." The remarks come as the Trump administration considers granting Russia de jure recognition over territories it occupies in Ukraine as part of ongoing ceasefire negotiations. Ukraine is under pressure to agree to a ceasefire without regaining all of its territory, but Kyiv is urging allies not to legitimize Russian control over occupied regions. "Crimea will stay with Russia. And (President Volodymyr) Zelensky understands that, and everybody understands that it's been with them for a long time," U.S. President Donald Trump said in interview with Time magazine on April 22. Trump has been pushing both sides for a peace deal to end the war at all costs, threatening to walk away if there is no progress made in the near future. Trump's recent messages suggest that he started growing impatient with Russia's President Vladimir Putin. On May 28, Trump said that the United States would soon find out whether Putin is genuinely interested in ending the war in Ukraine, cautioning that if Moscow is merely stalling, Washington would "respond a little bit differently." In Odesa, Pompeo reiterated his 2018 Crimea Declaration, issued during Trump's first term, in which the U.S. rejected Russia's claims to Ukrainian territory captured by force. While Trump has since distanced himself from Pompeo, the former secretary said he continues to make the case on Capitol Hill for maintaining the declaration. He named Senator Lindsey Graham, a vocal supporter of Ukraine, as one of the allies he spoke to during his visit to Ukraine. "There are many in my party, the Republican party, that have disappointed me deeply and have said things that are inconsistent with what I think are the deep American interests that we have here," Pompeo said. He added, "But I think they all also know, that, in the end, there's no walking away from this for the United States." Read also: Could Ukraine have stopped Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014? We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
US didn't do enough to stop war in 2014, says former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo
Mike Pompeo, former US secretary of state, believes that the United States did not do enough to stop the war unleashed by Russia and restore peace in Ukraine in 2014. Source: Pompeo during the second Black Sea Security Forum in Odesa, as reported by a correspondent for European Pravda Details: Pompeo said that despite all efforts, US representatives failed to thwart the plans of Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin and prevent a full-scale Russian invasion in 2022. "I regret that there was not more done in 2014, that there was not more done in 2022, and that deterrence was lost," he said. "And now the challenge is putting it back to a place. I was adjacent to the Minsk conversations (...) We've been at the negotiating table an awful lot, and there was no hammer." Pompeo acknowledged that it was "a different time" then and Russia's aggression was not as intense, but he pointed out: "If you went and looked at the debate issue papers from the Minsk conversations, they would look almost identical to the same conversations that are taking place today." "So that must remind us all: when Vladimir Putin lays down his weapons for a moment, you can't go back to Russian gas," Pompeo emphasised. "When Vladimir Putin lays down his weapons for a moment, there can't be life as it once was." He also pointed out that the US cannot afford to abandon Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression. "As for the deeper question about whether [Ukraine] is viewed as a pawn, I don't think that anyone believes that. I don't think anybody thinks, 'Oh my goodness, we can sacrifice that and get peace','' he said. He pointed out that many members of the Republican Party have expressed views on this issue that are contrary to America's deep national interests. "But I think they all also know that, in the end, there is no walking away from this for the United States. It is not the case where you can say, 'Godspeed, you're on your own'. This will continue to chase all of us who believe in basic human dignity, property rights, all the indicia of sovereign nationhood that we will ultimately come to prevail," Pompeo stressed. Background: While Pompeo was serving as US secretary of state, the Crimea Declaration was adopted and released on 25 July 2018, 10 days after the official meeting between Trump (during his first presidential term) and Putin in Helsinki. That document stated that "Russia, through its 2014 invasion of Ukraine and its attempted annexation of Crimea, sought to undermine a bedrock international principle shared by democratic states: that no country can change the borders of another by force". Meanwhile, when Trump returned to power in 2025, his administration repeatedly made controversial remarks about Crimea. In April, media reports indicated that the Trump administration had handed Ukraine a one-page document in Paris, which was presented as a "final proposal" for a peaceful settlement. Among other things, it supposedly stated that the United States was ready to recognise Russia's control over Ukrainian Crimea. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Kyiv does not recognise the Russian occupation of Crimea, and Trump criticised the statement, claiming that "Crimea was lost years ago" and that Zelenskyy's words are "very harmful to the peace negotiations". Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
The Hill
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Pompeo warns against US recognizing Russian control over Crimea: ‘Mistake of epic proportions'
ODESA, Ukraine — In the range of Russian rockets from Ukraine's occupied Crimean Peninsula, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stood in Odesa and called for President Trump to reject recognizing Russian sovereignty over territory it seized by force. Pompeo, who served as secretary of state during Trump's first term, said if the U.S. recognized Crimea as Russian territory, it 'would be a mistake of epic proportions,' speaking at the Black Sea Security Forum Saturday. 'I get the frustration … I'm not naive about what's physically possible in this moment, but that doesn't mean one should go and say, 'and we are giving up for all time,'' he said. 'This is one of the things I hope to communicate,' Pompeo added. The former secretary's remarks comes as the Trump administration has weighed giving de jure recognition to Russia over territory it occupies in Ukraine as part of efforts to coax Moscow towards a ceasefire and peace deal with Kyiv. There's growing acceptance in Ukraine that it needs to enter into a ceasefire with Russia without liberating its territory, but Kyiv is pushing for its allies to hold back recognizing occupied lands as sovereign Russian territory. Russia occupies about 20 percent of Ukrainian territory since launching a full-scale invasion of the country in February 2022. But it has maintained an occupation of the Crimean Peninsula since invading and illegally annexing it in 2014, along with the eastern Ukrainian provinces of Luhansk and Donetsk. In 2018, Pompeo — during Trump's first term — issued the Crimea Declaration 'reaffirming U.S. policy its refusal to recognize the Kremlin's claims of sovereignty over territory seized by force in contravention of international law.' While Trump has disavowed Pompeo as a member of his inner circle, the former secretary and CIA director told The Hill he is articulating to Republican allies on Capitol Hill why maintaining the Crimea Declaration is important and 'the right thing to do.' He mentioned Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a close Trump ally and Ukraine supporter, as one of those allies and said he saw him in Ukraine. Graham was in Kyiv with Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) this week. 'There are many in my party, the Republican party, that have disappointed me deeply and have said things that are inconsistent with what I think are the deep American interests that we have here,' Pompeo said during a fireside chat during the conference. 'But I think they all also know, that, in the end, there's no walking away from this for the United States,' he added. Trump has routinely favored Russian President Vladimir Putin and exercised pressure on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in efforts to bring the two sides together. But the U.S. president has also expressed frustration with Putin, calling the Russian leader 'crazy' after the Kremlin launched its largest aerial bombardment against Ukraine between May 24 and 25. In Odesa, Russian strikes against the city on May 23 — launched from Crimea — killed two people and injured seven others. In a post on his social media site Truth Social earlier this week, Trump threatened Putin that he was 'playing with fire' with his ongoing attacks against Ukraine.
News18
25-04-2025
- Politics
- News18
Crimea Will Remain With Russia, Donald Trump Says In Big Snub To Ukraine
Last Updated: US President Donald Trump said that Crimea would not have been annexed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2014 had he (Trump) been in the White House at the time. Annexation of Crimea: US President Donald Trump has said that Crimea 'will stay with Russia". In an interview with Time Magazine to mark 100 days in office, the US President said that Crimea would not have been annexed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2014 had he (Trump) been in the White House at the time. 'It was handed to them by Barack Hussein Obama (the then US President), and not by me…" he said adding, 'Crimea, if I were president, it would not have been taken." When asked whether he would accept Crimea being 'folded" into Russia as part of a peace settlement, Trump replied, 'Crimea will stay with Russia. And Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy understands that, and everybody understands that it's been with them for a long time." Earlier, Trump had slammed Zelenskyy for his comments that Ukraine wouldn't recognise Russian control of Crimea, calling the remarks 'very harmful to the Peace Negotiations with Russia." 'It's inflammatory statements like Zelenskyy's that makes it so difficult to settle this War. He has nothing to boast about! The situation for Ukraine is dire — He can have Peace or, he can fight for another three years before losing the whole Country," he had posted on Truth Social. In what seemed to be an indirect response to Trump's criticism of Zelenskyy being unwilling to recognize Russian control of Crimea, Zelenskyy vowed Kyiv would abide by its constitution. 'Ukraine will always act in accordance with its Constitution and we are absolutely sure that our partners – in particular the USA – will act in line with its strong decisions," he had said. Zelenskyy shared a screenshot of former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's 2018 Crimea Declaration which rejected Russia's occupation of the peninsula. Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, hosts the Black Sea Fleet, serves as a launchpad for missile strikes, and is vital for Russia's military supply routes. From the perspective of Ukraine, Crimea holds immense strategic and security value. It enables control over maritime activity in the Black Sea and had become an integral part of Ukraine's national identity over six decades. After the 2014 annexation, 'Krym nash!" or 'Crimea is ours!" became a patriotic slogan across Russia. Crimea's Role In The War In Ukraine Crimea's annexation in 2014 marked a pivotal moment that worsened Russia's relations with the West and set the stage for the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Following the annexation, conflict erupted in eastern Ukraine, where pro-Russian militias, backed by Moscow, fought against Ukrainian forces. Although Russia denied involvement, investigations, including a Dutch court ruling, presented evidence of its military support to the separatists. Since 2022, Crimea has been a key location for Russia's military operations. It has been used as a launchpad for missile strikes and a base for aircraft sorties targeting Ukrainian cities. (With inputs from agencies)
Time of India
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Trump may concede Crimea to Russia, ending decade of US resistance
Live Events During President Donald Trump's first term, Ukraine worried that Trump might recognize Russian control over Crimea , the Ukrainian peninsula Moscow forcibly seized in early a candidate, Trump had said he would "take a look" at the matter, even though the Obama administration and America's Western allies had rejected Russia 's annexation of the strategic territory. Trump even mused that "the people of Crimea, from what I've heard, would rather be with Russia."But Trump never followed through and even doubled down against Moscow. In July 2018, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued an official " Crimea Declaration " pledging that the nonrecognition policy would remain "until Ukraine's territorial integrity is restored."Now, in his effort to negotiate an end to the war between Russia and Ukraine, Trump is prepared to walk away from that declaration -- and more than a decade of U.S. policy.A new peace proposal the Trump administration offered in London on Wednesday would include U.S. recognition that Crimea is part of Russia, U.S. and European officials Fried, a former diplomat with extensive experience with Ukraine and Russia, called it the worst element of the Trump proposal, which is widely seen as strongly favoring Moscow's position in several is one thing to halt the fighting along current battle lines without demanding that Russia withdraw from the vast swath of eastern Ukraine it now occupies, Fried said. Formally acknowledging Russia's claim to Crimea would be much worse, he said."It is perfectly reasonable to accept the reality that for an indefinite period of time parts of Ukraine will be under illegal Russian occupation," Fried said. "It is quite another thing to officially recognize a change of borders by force."That view echoed Pompeo's declaration, which affirmed "a bedrock international principle shared by democratic states: that no country can change the borders of another by force."It is unclear how enthusiastic Trump ever was about such talk from Pompeo, who was notably more hawkish toward Russia than the president he served. But that view was widely shared in Washington, including by Pompeo's eventual successor, Marco a senator, Rubio co-sponsored a measure in October 2022 barring the United States from recognizing Russian claims to any portion of Ukraine's land, warning that doing so would "risk establishing a dangerous precedent for other authoritarian regimes, like the Chinese Communist Party, to imitate." Rubio and others have long feared that China might be more likely to try taking over Taiwan if it sees the West conceding control of Ukraine to idea of recognizing Crimea as Russian is a total nonstarter for Ukraine and its defenders. On Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ruled out the possibility, saying it would violate his country's Constitution: "There is nothing to talk about. It is our land, the land of the Ukrainian people," he Trump later appeared to draw a distinction between recognition of Crimea as Russian by Ukraine, where public opinion would make that step all but impossible, and by the United States. "Nobody is asking Zelenskyy to recognize Crimea as Russian Territory ," Trump analysts believe that Zelenskyy and European officials might be able to tolerate such a U.S. position, however much they disagree, if they are not pressed to endorse some, Trump's position -- which remains one part of a proposal that could still change -- may simply acknowledge facts on the years ago, Russian forces responded to a pro-Western revolution in Kyiv by taking over Crimea and staging a referendum there, widely denounced as illegitimate, that endorsed then, Moscow has only entrenched its control. It has built up its military presence, forced out residents opposed to its rule and even constructed a grand bridge connecting Crimea to mainland say recapturing the peninsula would be extremely hard for Ukraine, particularly given that it has been unable to eject Russia from its eastern territories after more than two years of all-out is also of particularly high value to President Vladimir Putin of Russia. Its port city of Sevastopol, where Russia's Black Sea Fleet is based, is a major strategic asset, and was the site of epic battles during World War II and the Crimean War in the mid-19th while Putin has suggested that all of Ukraine belongs to Russia, he may feel particularly indignant over Crimea, which was part of Russia's empire for hundreds of years until when Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev transferred its control to Kyiv as a gift for the 300th anniversary of Russia's unification with Ukraine. It was a largely symbolic gesture at a time when Russia and Ukraine were fellow republics within the Soviet Union, which collapsed in Charap, an analyst and Ukraine specialist at the RAND Corp., said that Trump has a track record of granting recognition to long-disputed territorial claims. In 2019, he recognized his close ally Israel's longtime occupation of Syria's Golan Heights. And in 2020, Trump supported Morocco's 45-year claim to rule Western Sahara in exchange for Morocco's diplomatic recognition of Charap questioned the utility of making such a concession to Russia in the case of cited the precedent of the July 1940 Welles Declaration, in which the acting secretary of state, Sumner Welles, said the United States would never recognize Soviet Russia's occupation that summer of the Baltic States -- Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. (Pompeo cited that statement in his 2018 Crimea Declaration.)"That didn't prevent détente, or even a negotiated end to the Cold War," Charap agreed, adding that many in the United States and Europe initially "sneered at the Welles Doctrine" as "a joke." But he noted that the Baltics were eventually free again, after the Soviet Union collapsed."Oops! It turned out to be prescient," he added.
