The US president stated earlier that Ukraine lost the peninsula years ago

US President Donald Trump's statement that Ukraine lost Crimea many years ago aligns entirely with Moscow's position, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said.

Trump, who has played an active role in the efforts to settle the Ukraine conflict accused Vladimir Zelensky on Wednesday of harming the peace process after the latter insisted Kiev would never officially recognize the peninsula as Russian. In response, the US President pointed out that "Crimea was lost years ago."

"This fully corresponds with our understanding and with what we have been saying for a long time," Peskov told a press briefing on Thursday.

Crimea, where most of the population is ethnically Russian, held a referendum to rejoin Russia in 2014, after a Western-backed armed coup in Kiev.

While the US-proposed peace framework has not been made public, reports suggest it could involve recognizing Crimea as Russian territory.

Zelensky's declaration that Kiev would never recognize the peninsula as Russian also prompted a warning from Trump that he could lose the whole country if he continues stalling talks with Moscow.

Russia has repeatedly said that the status of Crimea and the four other former Ukrainian regions that joined Russia after referendums in 2022 is not up for negotiation. Moscow insists recognition of the "reality on the ground" is vital for a lasting peace.

Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, could reportedly meet with President Vladimir Putin on Friday.

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Peskov previously remarked that reaching a peace agreement with Ukraine is unlikely to happen quickly, given the complicated nature of the negotiations. Moscow has maintained that it is open to peace talks, but only if they lead to a lasting resolution that addresses the underlying causes of the conflict. A short-term truce, according to Russia, would merely serve as an opportunity for Ukraine's Western backers

(RT.com)