Crimea at the heart of Russia-Ukraine peace talks: Why the annexed peninsula remains a flashpoint

Crimea at the center of Russia-Ukraine peace talks

The Crimean Peninsula, annexed by Russia in 2014, has reemerged as a key sticking point in peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, sparking tensions between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy over its status.

Amid the rising conflict, Russia’s defense ministry claimed it intercepted 87 Ukrainian drones overnight, including 45 over Crimea on Thursday. Meanwhile, Ukraine reported that Russia launched a large-scale assault with 70 missiles and 145 drones, mainly aimed at Kyiv that killed 12 — an attack Zelensky said was intended to sway US involvement.

Trump recently stated that no one is asking Ukraine to recognize Crimea as part of Russia, but it remains unclear if the U.S. would acknowledge it, which would contradict past U.S. policy. In 2017, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and later Mike Pompeo both reaffirmed that the U.S. rejected Russia’s annexation of Crimea.

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy referenced Pompeo's stance, expressing confidence that the U.S. would uphold its decisions. Meanwhile, Putin has made Ukraine’s recognition of Crimea as Russian territory a key demand in peace talks, alongside several other conditions, including Ukraine renouncing NATO membership. Ukraine has firmly rejected any concession on territorial claims, making such demands a major hurdle in negotiations.

With Russia currently occupying around 20% of Ukrainian territory, including Crimea, a peace deal that formalizes these territorial changes would largely benefit Moscow.

Back in 2013 and 2014, Ukraine was shaken by weeks of mass protests that ultimately ousted its pro-Russian president, Viktor Yanukovych. Amid the chaos, Russia seized the opportunity to send troops into Crimea — a Black Sea peninsula it had long sought to control. Soldiers in unmarked uniforms appeared overnight, and soon after, a controversial referendum was held, which Moscow used to justify annexation.

The move, widely condemned as illegal by Ukraine and the West, severely damaged Russia's ties with the international community. Sanctions followed swiftly from the US and EU, and although a few countries like North Korea and Sudan backed the annexation, most of the world did not.

In Russia, however, the move sparked a surge of nationalism, with the slogan “Crimea is ours!” echoing across the country. The annexation also ignited conflict in eastern Ukraine, where Russia-backed separatists clashed with Ukrainian forces — tensions that would eventually boil over into a full-scale war in 2022.

Crimea has long held deep historical and strategic value, sitting at a crossroads of empires and conflict. The peninsula, which stretches into the Black Sea, was annexed by the Russian Empire in the 18th century under Catherine the Great, who also established the key naval base at Sevastopol.

Over the centuries, its control has shifted alongside political tides. The Crimean War of the mid-1800s, which saw Russia battle the Ottoman Empire supported by Britain and France, claimed over half a million lives and reshaped the European balance of power.

Ukraine’s first president, Leonid Kravchuk, once noted that Kyiv invested nearly $100 billion into the region between 1991 and 2014 — a reflection of Crimea’s continued significance not just as a territory, but as a symbol of national identity and geopolitical rivalry.

US President Donald Trump appears to be shifting his position on Crimea. During his first term, he firmly stated he would never recognize the region as Russian territory.

However, in a recent statement on Wednesday, Trump criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for rejecting any peace deal that involves ceding Ukrainian land — including Crimea — to Russia.

“There is nothing to talk about. It is our land, the land of the Ukrainian people,” Zelenskyy said, firmly opposing territorial concessions.

Trump responded by calling Zelenskyy’s stance “very harmful” to peace negotiations. “Nobody is asking Zelenskyy to recognize Crimea as Russian territory,” he wrote on social media, “but if he wants Crimea, why didn’t they fight for it eleven years ago when it was handed over to Russia without a shot being fired?”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reaffirmed his position on Crimea in a post on X, stating that he cannot act against his country’s constitution.

Emotions have run high today. But it is good that 5 countries met to bring peace closer. Ukraine, the USA, the UK, France and Germany. The sides expressed their views and respectfully received each others positions. Its important that each side was not just a participant but pic.twitter.com/lDFV5WK8tw

Volodymyr Zelenskyy / (@ZelenskyyUa) April 23, 2025

His remarks came in response to U.S. President Donald Trump, who accused him of undermining the peace process with Russia by refusing to consider territorial concessions.

(With agency inputs)