In an interview with Time magazine published on Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump asserted that annexed Crimea will “remain with Russia,” regardless of Ukraine’s refusal to recognize the Black Sea peninsula as part of Russian territory.

The issue of Crimea has become a significant point of contention in negotiations facilitated by the U.S. aimed at resolving the conflict in Ukraine. Earlier this week, Trump criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for “boasting” to the media about Ukraine’s stance against acknowledging Russia’s annexation.

“Crimea will remain with Russia. Zelensky knows it, and everyone else understands that it has belonged to them for quite some time,” Trump stated during the Time interview. “It has been with them long before I took office.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously claimed that Crimea is historically and “forever” part of Russia, a viewpoint not widely shared by other nations.

In his interview, Trump suggested that Russia has a valid claim to the Black Sea peninsula, highlighting that a significant portion of the population speaks Russian and noting that “they’ve had their submarines there for many years.”

He also tried to absolve himself of any accountability in the territorial conflict, pointing out that Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 during Barack Obama’s presidency and that the full-scale invasion occurred under Joe Biden’s administration.

“Would it have been taken from me like it was taken from Obama? No, it wouldn’t have happened. If I were president, Crimea would not have been annexed,” he remarked. “Once again, this is Obama’s war. This is a conflict that should have never arisen.”

Trump’s candid remarks come as he advocates for a ceasefire agreement between Moscow and Kyiv to terminate the ongoing war that Russia has waged against Ukraine for three years.

On Friday, Reuters reported that Ukrainian and European officials presented counterproposals to the U.S. during recent discussions in Paris and London. In addition to the status of Crimea, the talks encompass the four Ukrainian regions partially under Russian control and the future of Ukraine’s military.

According to Reuters, the European-Ukrainian proposal delays discussions about territory until after a ceasefire is established. There are also differences between the two sides regarding sanctions and security guarantees, with Ukraine demanding stronger assurances and compensation sourced from frozen Russian assets.

Despite ongoing negotiations, Trump expressed optimism about striking a deal with both Zelensky and Putin while they remain in office.

“I believe I am the only one capable of negotiating this,” he told Time. “If someone else were president, there would be no chance.”

Trump conceded that he recognizes that the Russian leader would “prefer to take the whole thing” by military means but underscored his negotiating strength.

“If I can help prevent an average loss of 3,000 lives each week in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, it’s solely because of me; no one else could have stopped it,” he claimed.

He also hinted at potential easing of sanctions and renewed economic collaboration with Russia, stating, “If a deal is reached, I can envision us doing business with both Ukraine and Russia.”

At the same time, Trump seemed to dismiss the idea of NATO membership for Ukraine, arguing that the promise of future inclusion in the Western military alliance “triggered the onset of the war.”

Earlier in the week, he mentioned he was “very close” to finalizing an agreement with the Kremlin, while also describing Zelensky as “more difficult to engage with.”

However, his tone shifted after a deadly Russian strike on Kyiv the next day, leading him to urge Putin to “finalize this peace deal.”

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov indicated that Moscow is open to reaching an agreement and that the remaining differences are being “fine-tuned.”