White House: No change to Crimea policy

WASHINGTON – The White House says there has been no change to the U.S. opposition to recognizing Russia’s annexation of Crimea.

Press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders tells reporters: “We do not recognize Russia’s attempt to annex Crimea.”

Her comments come a day after National Security Adviser John Bolton suggested President Donald Trump wasn’t shutting the door to potentially acknowledging the 2014 armed seizure of Ukrainian territory as he prepares to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin later this month. Bolton echoed Trump’s comments saying, “We will see.”

Sanders adds that the U.S. agrees “to disagree with Russia on that front and our Crimea sanctions against Russia will remain in place until Russia returns the peninsula to the Ukraine.”