Trump's statement: Let Russia keep 20 percent of Ukraine

Trump: "Crimea will remain Russian"

Linnea Blomberg,

Olof Svensson

Updated 14.09 | Published 12.33

Crimea will become Russian.

That's what Donald Trump says in his "100-day interview" with Time Magazine.

On April 22, US President Donald Trump was interviewed by Time Magazine about his first 100 days in power.

Several topics were touched upon during the interview, one of them: The war between Ukraine and Russia.

Among other things, Trump speaks out about his views on the Russian-annexed Crimean Peninsula, which was taken by Russia in 2014: "Crimea will remain Russian," Donald Trump tells the magazine.

The American president also says that he wants Russia to get 20 percent of Ukraine's territory. 20 percent is approximately the size of the territory of Ukraine that the Russian military has occupied during the ongoing war.

Promised to stop the war on day one: “It was a joke”

The president has previously said that he believes that the Crimean peninsula has already been lost to Ukraine. In the interview with Time, Trump accuses Ukraine of starting the war with Russia by starting to talk about wanting to join NATO.

“If it hadn’t been raised, there would have been a much greater chance that it would never have started,” Trump says.

He is also asked about his promise to end the war during his first 24 hours as president – ​​then he says it was “a joke.”

“Of course, people know that when I said it, it was a joke, but I also said that the war will end.”

Kristersson: “Deeply sorry”

Trump’s words have caused a stir around the world in a short time. During a hearing in the Constitutional Court, the statement is commented on by Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.

– I deeply regret that the United States is now spreading Russian perceptions about what Crimea is. I really deeply regret that. Only Ukraine can define what is Ukrainian territory in any negotiations, says Kristersson.

Donald Trump, US President. Photo: Jacquelyn Martin / AP