Bloomberg reported , citing sources familiar with the negotiations.
According to journalists, this scenario is being discussed as part of a broader ceasefire agreement between Moscow and Kyiv. Although a final decision has not yet been made, the signal from the US could indicate the Trump administration's willingness to make serious concessions to the Kremlin.
“This came after Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio publicly stated that the US may withdraw from further mediation if peace is not achieved quickly,” writes Bloomberg.
Analysts note that such a step openly contradicts international law, since recognizing Crimea as part of the Russian Federation would mean legitimizing the seizure of territory through armed aggression.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has previously repeatedly stated that Ukraine will not trade its territory.
If this scenario were to happen, Russia would get what it has been seeking for the past 10 years—international recognition of its sovereignty over Crimea. This would be a major political victory for Vladimir Putin, especially on the eve of new stages of war and sanctions pressure.
Along with Crimea, the Kremlin is seeking recognition of the occupation of parts of Zaporizhia, Kherson, Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Trump spokesman Steve Witkoff said in an interview this week that talks are underway around “five territories,” but without specifying.
President Zelensky criticized the US approach, accusing Trump's envoy of "adopting the Russian strategy" and noting that no one has a mandate to bid for Ukrainian land.
"These territories belong to our people," Zelenskyy emphasized.
The US's European allies are also negative about such initiatives. One diplomat, according to Bloomberg , stated bluntly that even for the sake of peace, the EU would not recognize any occupied territory as Russian.
