According to Financial Times, European capitals are unwilling to support any actions by the USA that may lead to the recognition of Crimea as part of Russia or pressure on Kyiv for consent. Some European diplomats express concern that disagreements on this issue could undermine transatlantic security and jeopardize the successful conduct of the NATO summit at the end of June.
Source: "European Truth" referencing Financial Times
The publication notes that the Trump administration offered Ukraine a deal with terms favorable to Moscow, including the recognition of Russia's sovereignty over Crimea.
However, Western diplomats informed the publication that European capitals would not compromise on recognizing Crimea as Russian or applying pressure on Kyiv for agreement.
Officials from unnamed states emphasized their traditional position: they will not accept any decisions regarding Ukraine's sovereignty.
For Europeans, the idea of recognizing the annexation of Crimea is completely unacceptable, as it threatens to disrupt the rules-based order that has ensured peace in Europe for decades. "Crimea and Ukraine's aspirations for NATO membership are non-negotiable for us. We cannot abandon them," stated an unnamed EU official.
According to the European official, the Trump administration has already been informed that European capitals cannot recognize Crimea as Russian. The largest NATO countries in Europe should "dissuade" Washington from unilateral actions, added the official.
The status of Crimea could trigger a serious diplomatic crisis within NATO, the publication notes. Before the US proposal, NATO representatives attempted to downplay internal disagreements regarding Ukraine, insisting that the annual summit of Alliance leaders in The Hague would focus on defense spending rather than war, according to discussion participants.
However, the proposed Trump deal and the possibility that the USA may withdraw from negotiations, blame Kyiv, and normalize relations with Moscow could lead to a rift among NATO leaders. "The main question of the summit is our stance on Ukraine," remarked a Western official.
Similar disagreements are likely to deepen within the EU, particularly regarding how to handle the economic sanctions imposed by the European Union against Russia if Washington decides to lift its restrictions.
"The situation looks very bleak," said the EU official. He emphasized that any US move to recognize Crimea as part of Russia or demand European capitals to ease sanctions against Moscow would "destroy EU unity."