Peskov: Putin and Trump will not discuss Crimea
The subject of the annexation of Crimea will not be on the agenda when U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin meet, said Putin’s press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, at a press conference. “The Russian President has repeatedly said that the issue of Crimea will not be on the agenda,” Peskov said.
According to him, Putin is still willing to discuss compromises with Trump on any other matter.
The meeting between Trump and Putin will take place in Helsinki on July 16, in accordance with what the leaders agreed upon. Trump said that they will discuss the issue of Russian interference in the U.S. election. He also said that they will discuss Ukraine and Syria. When asked if the U.S. will accept the Crimea as part of Russia, Trump said, “We will see.”
Earlier, Trump repeatedly expressed interest in restoring Putin’s position on the world stage. In particular, he spoke about bringing Russia back to the G8. At the G7 summit, Trump said that if he had a personal conversation with Putin, he would certainly ask him to “get out of” Ukraine and Syria.
The internationally recognized Ukrainian territory of Crimea was annexed by the Russian Federation in March of 2014 in the wake of the Ukrainian revolution. The Kremlin has faced international condemnation for its annexation of the Peninsula, leading many western countries to impose economic sanctions against Russia. In the United Nations, only Afghanistan, North Korea, Cuba,
Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Syria recognize Crimea as a legitimate federal subject of Russia.