US could recognize Crimea as Russian – Semafor

The US is considering recognizing Crimea as part of Russia and may urge the UN to do the same, American news website Semafor reported on Monday, citing two people familiar with the matter.

According to Semafor, President Donald Trump has not made any decisions. The discussions about the status of Crimea are in line with a “multitude of options being floated as his administration pushes for an end of the war,” the publication said.

National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes told Semafor that the White House “made no such commitments, and we will not negotiate [a peace] deal through the media.”

“The goal remains the same: stop the killing and find a peaceful resolution to this conflict,” Hughes said.

Crimea, which is mostly populated by ethnic Russians, voted to leave Ukraine and join Russia in 2014, following a US-backed coup in Kiev to oust democratically elected President Viktor Yanukovich which led to the immediate nullification of certain language rights. The UN continues to view the region as Ukrainian territory…