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The US may consider formally recognising Crimea as Russian territory in a proposed peace deal: Report. President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are reportedly frustrated with stalled negotiations and warned that the US could withdraw from the process if no progress is made. “The longer this drags on, the harder it gets to justify our involvement,” Trump told reporters. Crimea was annexed by Russia in 2014 after a disputed referendum, a move condemned by most of the international community, including the US. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has strongly rejected any proposal involving territorial concessions. “We will never consider Ukrainian lands as Russian,” Zelenskyy said in Kyiv. Zelenskyy also criticised Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff for allegedly favouring Russia during backchannel discussions. Behind-the-scenes talks are ongoing in Paris with US, UK, French, German, and Ukrainian officials discussing a framework that could freeze current battle lines and gradually ease sanctions on Russia. Reportedly, the plan also suggests removing Ukraine's NATO bid from the agenda — a key demand from Moscow. However, Kyiv insists that genuine negotiations can only resume once Russia halts its offensive.