Crimean Peninsula

The Crimean Peninsula, seized by Russia from Ukraine in 2014, remains at the heart of the most serious East-West standoff since the Cold War. The issue recently triggered a fresh clash between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, with Trump urging Ukraine to recognize Russia’s occupation as part of a proposed peace deal — a demand Zelenskiy refused.

Historical Context:

• Crimea was absorbed into the Russian Empire under Catherine the Great in the 18th century.
• Sevastopol, Russia’s key Black Sea naval base, was founded shortly after.
• The region remained part of Russia within the Soviet Union until 1954, when it was transferred to Ukraine by Nikita Khrushchev.
• After the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union, disputes over Crimea’s status persisted until Russia forcibly annexed the peninsula in 2014.

Geographical Overview:

• Located between the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.
• Connected to mainland Ukraine via the Perekop Isthmus.
• Separated from Russia by the Kerch Strait, now spanned by a Russian-built bridge — damaged during the war.
• Capital city: Simferopol.
• Area: 27,000 sq km — slightly smaller than Belgium.