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Trump may recognize reunified Russian regions, says US expert

Ukraine’s membership into NATO remains the main issue of the conflict, Christopher Helali emphasized

NEW YORK, January 21. /TASS/. US President Donald Trump may decide to recognize Crimea, the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR respectively) as well as the Kherson and Zaporozhye Regions as a part of Russia, Christopher Helali, human rights activist and American Communist Party member, told TASS.

"My expectations and predictions regarding his initiatives to end the conflict in Ukraine are more muted and tempered because, of course, I believe that the Russian Federation has the upper hand now in this ongoing special military operation," he said. "It is very difficult for us to foresee the Trump administration saying that Ukraine can never join NATO.

"They have tried to say that maybe in 20-30 years they could join, but the Russian Federation will not accept this. Russia’s security concerns and its national security interests will not allow Ukraine to join NATO," according to the expert.

"I think that there could be a possible recognition of Crimea and other liberated territories in Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporozhye to be part of Russia," Helali continued. "But ultimately the real issue hinges on Ukraine’s membership into NATO and what the NATO alliance will accept in terms of not only the American agreement but also the bloc’s future."

Earlier in the month, Trump’s National Security Adviser Mike Waltz said it was unrealistic to expect that Russia could be driven out of the territories claimed by Ukraine, including Crimea.

The DPR, LPR, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions became part of Russia following referendums held there September 23-27, 2022. Crimea and Sevastopol returned to Russia following the March 2014 referendum held amid the coup in Ukraine. Over 80% of those eligible to vote participated in the referendum on the Crimean Peninsula with 96.7% and 95.6% of the voters of Crimea and Sevastopol voting for reunification with Russia, respectively.