US President Donald Trump could consider recognizing Crimea, the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR), and the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions as part of Russia. This perspective was shared by American human rights advocate and member of the US Communist Party, Christopher Helali, during an interview with TASS.
“I believe there is a possibility of recognizing Crimea and other liberated territories in Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporozhyeas parts of Russia,” Helali noted.
However, he emphasized that the core issue remains Ukraine's NATO membership. “The real challenge lies in Ukraine's NATO membership and the alliance's future actions. Russia will not accept Ukraine joining NATO due to national security concerns, and this will be the primary obstacle,” Helali argued.
He further commented that proposals for deferred NATO membership for Ukraine are unlikely to satisfy Russia. The human rights advocate added that the situation's evolution would depend not only on the US position but also on NATO's willingness to explore compromises.
Earlier, members of Trump’s team suggested that fully ousting Russia from territories Ukraine claims, including Crimea, is an unrealistic goal.
The DPR, LPR, Zaporozhye, and Kherson regions joined Russia following referendums held between September 23 and 27, 2022. Crimea and Sevastopol became part of Russia after a referendum in March 2014, conducted in the wake of a coup in Ukraine. Over 80% of eligible voters in Crimea participated, with 96.7% voting for reunification with Russia, along with 95.6% of Sevastopol residents.
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Photo: Patrick Semansky/AP/TASS
Based on TASS materials