Zelenskyy reminds Trump of promises made in the Crimea Declaration
Photo: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Getty Images)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recalled the Crimea Declaration issued by the first administration of US President Donald Trump.
In one of his statements, Zelenskyy recalled the position of Trump’s first administration on Crimea, specifically the Crimea Declaration.
"We are grateful to our partners. Ukraine will always act in accordance with its Constitution, and we are absolutely confident that our partners, including the US, will act in line with their strong decisions," he said, attaching the text of the declaration to his statement.
Crimea Declaration
The Crimea Declaration is a document released on July 25, 2018, by the US Department of State, reaffirming the United States' non-recognition of Russia’s annexation of Crimea.
In the statement issued by then-US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, the United States emphasized its refusal to recognize the Kremlin’s claims over territory seized by force in violation of international law.
The document was released ten days after the meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, amid concerns that the US might reconsider its stance on Crimea.
The Crimea Declaration underscores that Russia, through its invasion of Ukraine and attempted annexation of Crimea in 2014, violated a fundamental principle of international law — that no country can change the borders of another by force.
In his statement, Secretary Pompeo stressed that the United States, along with its allies and partners, would continue to reject Russia’s attempts to annex Crimea and pledged to uphold this policy until Ukraine’s territorial integrity is restored.
"The United States… reaffirms as policy its refusal to recognize the Kremlin’s claims of sovereignty over territory seized by force in contravention of international law. In concert with allies, partners, and the international community, the United States rejects Russia’s attempted annexation of Crimea and pledges to maintain this policy until Ukraine’s territorial integrity is restored," the declaration states.
Talks on Crimea
The Washington Post reported yesterday that the US planned to present proposals for a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow during ongoing talks in London. However, it turned out that the proposal contradicted Ukraine’s position.
Reportedly, the plan included a statement suggesting that the US might recognize Crimea as Russian.
In response, President Zelenskyy emphasized that any discussions about Crimea, the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), and NATO are mere speculation, as an unconditional ceasefire is the first and necessary precondition for any meaningful negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. At the same time, the president stressed that Ukraine will never recognize Crimea or any other occupied territories as Russian.
Former President Trump criticized Zelenskyy’s statement regarding Crimea. More details on the reaction of the US president can be found in the RBC-Ukraine material.
RBC-Ukraine also shares a separate piece analyzing Trump’s potential "last attempt" and whether the US is close to a peace deal on Ukraine, and what Putin might be planning.
