President Trump has been making conciliatory and complimentary remarks regarding Mr. Putin and Russia since the early days of his presidential campaign. In so doing, he has antagonized legislators and groups within the United States who hold a much more hostile position regarding the Russian leader. This has also resulted in accusations of secret dealings between President Trump and President Putin. All of this makes for some very difficult future negotiations.
Mr. Trump has lately sounded much more critical of President Putin than he has in the past. Is this just typical positioning before negotiations take place? Or is something else at work here?
On Tuesday, White House spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters that US President Donald Trump has been tough on Russia and expects Moscow to “return” Crimea to Ukraine.
“President Trump has made it very clear that he expects the Russian government to de-escalate violence in the Ukraine and return Crimea,” Spicer said. “At the same time, he fully expects to – and wants to – get along with Russia.”
Russia has been very straightforward in its reply.
“We don’t return our territories. Crimea is a territory of the Russian Federation,” Zakharova said at a weekly news briefing on current foreign policy issues.
Our ambassador to the United Nations has echoed President Trump’s position toward Russia.
Earlier in February, the Trump-appointed ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, strongly denounced “the Russian occupation” in Crimea.
“Crimea is a part of Ukraine. Our Crimea-related sanctions will remain in place until Russia returns control of the peninsula to Ukraine,” Haley said.
So does Crimea belong to Russia or Ukraine? Was vote by those in Crimea to unite with Russia fair and even relevant?
Crimea became part of the Russian Empire back in the 18th century, but was reassigned to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1954 by the Soviet Union’s ruling presidium. Following the 2014 coup in Kiev, Crimeans overwhelmingly voted in a referendum to rejoin Russia.
It does not appear to be a situation with an obvious answer. Right now, Russia has Crimea. The likelihood that it will give it back to Ukraine anytime soon seems very remote.
President Trump has genuine test of his negotiation skills directly ahead.
Crimea was TAKEN by Russia during the Obama Administration. Was Obama too soft on Russia?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 15, 2017
‘Trump expects Moscow to ‘return’ Crimea to Ukraine, has been tough on Russia’ – WH spokesman
Source: RT
Democrats are going to cause a war for no reason other than they didn’t get their way. Sad.
Bring it on!!!! We had enough of the b******t
Maxine Waters can fix it
Oh but the demorats insisted he was in Putin’s bed. rofl.. Maybe they need to call in the real ones who works with Putin. maybe Killary can help if he gives her some more funds to her foundation.. McCain and the rest of democrats and newscasters call him a$#%&!@*murderer so i guess that doesn’t help (yep mccain may as well be dem)_
More f**e news .,
Ok im not following this site anymore.
If I were an advisor to President Trump, I’d tell Putin to keep Crimea. I don’t see any problem whatsoever since the people who live there want to be part of Russia. Who in God’s name cares? I can’t think of one american that will be harmed in any way over Crimea’s return to their ancestral homeland.
I believe it will be worked out!!!
I don’t belive all I read but sounds like you have been talking to McCain again.