By
TYLER PAGER
The
United States, along with the EU, has refused to recognize the
annexation
Donald Trump said Wednesday he would consider recognizing Crimea as
Russian territory and lifting the sanctions against the country if he’s elected
president.
At a wide-ranging news
conference, Trump said he “would be looking into that” when asked about his
stance on Crimea and Russia. The Crimean Peninsula has been part of Ukraine for
decades, but Russian President Vladimir Putin annexed the territory in March
2014 after a popular revolt toppled Kiev’s pro-Russian government.
The United States, along with the European Union, has
refused to recognize
the annexation or the referendum legitimizing it, and
has enforced sanctions
on Russian state banks and corporations.
Crimea, historically a popular tourist destination for Russians seeking
out its subtropical climate, formally became part of the Ukrainian satellite
state of the Soviet Union in 1954, and joined independent Ukraine after it left
the Soviet bloc in 1991.
Trump’s comments on
Crimea came during the same news conference that he suggested Russia hack
Hillary Clinton’s email server to “find the 30,000 emails that are missing.”
The remark has been harshly criticized, and the Clinton campaign said it has
now become a national security issue.
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