Image: from Mario X@PawlowskiMario
By José Carlos Palma with Agencies
The United States is reportedly preparing a dramatic shift in its diplomatic position regarding territories occupied by Russia. According to The Telegraph, President Donald Trump is moving toward formally recognizing Donbass and Crimea as Russian territory, a reversal of long-standing US policy and a development already alarming Washington’s European allies.
A US delegation led by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner is expected to travel to Moscow in the coming days, where they will present Trump’s proposal directly to Russian officials. Sources close to the process told the newspaper that the decision signals a clear break from conventional American diplomacy. European concerns appear to have had little influence over the White House’s direction, one source stating that Washington no longer seems concerned with Europe’s objections.
Russian President Vladimir Putin commented on Thursday that official American recognition of Crimea and the Donetsk and Luhansk regions as Russian territory remains a central issue in negotiations over Trump’s proposed peace plan.
On Friday, the Kremlin confirmed that it had received a revised version of the US peace plan. The new draft follows an emergency meeting between Ukrainian and US representatives in Geneva last weekend. The original twenty-eight-point proposal called for the United States to recognize Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia as Russian territory, although only as a matter of de facto control. The updated plan has been reduced to nineteen points, reflecting concessions made after negotiations with Ukraine and a less favorable position for Moscow.
Despite these adjustments, Ukraine will not be required to recognize Russia’s control over occupied territories. The Ukrainian Constitution prohibits any government or president from ceding territory without first holding a national referendum.
The latest draft leaves several sensitive issues unresolved. Key territorial concessions remain blank in the document and will be determined only after a future in-person meeting between President Volodymyr Zelensky and President Trump. No date has yet been set for this meeting.