Trump says Crimea will "stay with Russia"

US President Donald Trump has reiterated in an interview with Time that he believes Ukraine's aspiration to join NATO is the main reason behind Russia's military aggression. He also stated that he considers Crimea to be lost to Ukraine.

Source: Trump in the interview with Time, conducted on 22 April and released on 25 April, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Trump repeated what he has said earlier – that Ukraine supposedly provoked the war by seeking to join NATO.

"I think what caused the war to start was when they started talking about joining NATO," the US leader said.

He also made it clear that he considers Crimea to be lost to Ukraine. "Crimea will stay with Russia," Trump said.

Trump has previously hinted – commenting on a Ukrainian proposal to purchase American Patriot air defence systems to protect its skies – that it was Ukraine that "started the war".

Time did not provide more complete quotes.

In the interview, Trump also boasted that he had forced the Europeans to take steps to increase defence spending.

The US president also said he feels more confident and less constrained in his actions in his second term than he did in his first.

"Last time I was fighting for survival," Trump noted. "This time I’m fighting for the world."

Background:

• Earlier, it was reported that the Trump administration handed over a one-page document to Ukraine in Paris last week, presented as a "final proposal" for a peace settlement. Among other things, the US is prepared to recognise Russia's control over Ukrainian Crimea and ease sanctions against Moscow.
• On 24 April, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the US had presented its strategy for the Ukrainian territories during talks in London, but that after the US proposal, "another paper appeared", which he said had been drawn up following a conversation between the Ukrainian delegation, the European team and the United States.
• The Telegraph has revealed details of a new negotiation document aimed at ending the war, with Kyiv hoping to deny Russia official international recognition of its sovereignty over Crimea and other occupied territories as part of the peace talks.

Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!