Crimea, NATO, Ukraine: Trump Stirs Controversy and Wins Kremlin Praise

In an interview with Time magazine, Donald Trump reignited diplomatic tensions surrounding the war in Ukraine by echoing key talking points from the Kremlin. Marking his first 100 days in office, the U.S. president asserted that Crimea — annexed by Russia in 2014 — “will remain under Russian control,” even calling the territory “permanently lost” to Ukraine.

Trump went further, placing responsibility for the conflict on Kyiv. He claimed that “talk of joining NATO” was what triggered Russia’s 2022 invasion — a statement that starkly contrasts with previous U.S. policy and widely accepted international accounts of the war’s origins.

A Message Moscow Welcomes

Unsurprisingly, Trump’s remarks were welcomed in Moscow. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said they “fully align” with Russia’s long-standing position. Shortly after the interview was published, Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow — their fourth meeting in less than three months, part of a backchannel initiative launched by the Trump administration to seek a resolution to the conflict.

Trump also took aim at Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, accusing him of making “inflammatory” statements about Crimea and obstructing prospects for peace. Zelensky had recently reiterated that Ukraine’s sovereignty over the peninsula is “non-negotiable” under its constitution.