A reported plan by the U.S. to recognize Russia’s control over Crimea as part of a peace deal to end the war in Ukraine has sparked anger for handing Vladimir Putin a victory regarding the peninsula he illegally annexed in 2014.

The potential concession reported by Bloomberg citing unnamed sources follows President Donald Trump and his Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicating on Friday that the U.S. administration may abandon its peace-brokering efforts if talks fail.

But Pro-Ukrainian figures joined a chorus of disapproval over the reported proposal which the outlet said had not been finalized and has not been independently confirmed.

Newsweek has contacted the White House and Ukrainian foreign ministry for comment.

Why It Matters

Russian troops invaded Crimea in February 2014 and after illegally seizing the peninsula, a sham referendum was cited by Moscow as showing most of the population favored reintegration with Russia.

The annexation formed the backdrop to a war in Ukraine’s Donbas region which preceded Moscow’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said Kyiv would not cede to Russia any territory, including Crimea, as part of a peace deal. Putin claims to have annexed four other Ukrainian regions which Moscow does not fully control.

Recognizing Russia’s control of Crimea would deliver a major win for Putin, who has long pushed for international legitimacy over the territory.

What To Know

Bloomberg said the Crimea proposal was being discussed, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter, although no final decision had been made.

Social media users expressed outrage at the proposed move, such as Jay in Kyiv who posted that such a move would see the U.S. “join that pantheon of hellish kleptocracies—North Korea, Belarus, Russia, Nicaragua and Venezuela—the only nations on earth that recognize Crimea as Russian.”

CEPA senior fellow Olga Lautman posted, “Crimea is and will always be Ukrainian, no matter what Trump and his thugs say.”

The X account UA Voyager wrote that as someone from Crimea, they saw the annexation from up close, adding, “I know what occupation feels like. I know how many people in Crimea still believe in Ukraine. And now—I genuinely have no words.”

Ukraine Front Line, which is run by EuroMaidan PR, posted that if Trump recognized Crimea or any territory as belonging to Russia that all negotiations were off.

It follows Trump’s comments on Friday that the U.S. would end mediation efforts if one of the sides “makes it difficult.” Earlier, Rubio had said the U.S. would abandon attempts to negotiate a peace deal if there is no signal that an agreement is reachable.

In March, Putin rejected a joint U.S.-Ukrainian 30-day full ceasefire proposal and the Kremlin has sought to deflect blame onto Ukraine and extract additional bilateral concessions from the United States.

Russian United Nations envoy Vasily Nebenzya on Friday reiterated Putin’s rejection of a general ceasefire saying on Friday this would be “unrealistic.”

What People Are Saying

Ukraine Front Line on X: “Ronald Reagan is turning over in his grave at even the thought of such a betrayal of U.S. moral authority.”

UAVoyager: “I’m from Crimea. I saw the annexation with my own eyes. I know what occupation feels like. I know how many people in Crimea still believe in Ukraine.”

Olga Lautman, senior fellow CEPA: “This is predictable, but so outrageous and disgusting.”

What Happens Next

Despite the U.S.-led talks in Saudi Arabia last month, the war in Ukraine continues to rage with no hint of an easing of hostilities. Kremlin rhetoric about its demands suggests that only Ukraine’s capitulation would be acceptable, adding to pressure on the Trump administration over any potential deal.