Why Crimea matters to Russia

The Crimean peninsula had been "handed to" Vladimir Putin by Barack Obama, but now, "Crimea will stay with Russia", United States President Donald Trump told Time Magazine in an interview published on Friday. Earlier this week, Trump pressed Ukraine to accept a peace deal under which the US would reportedly recognise Crimea — which Russia seized in 2014 — as Russian territory. Formally accepting Crimea as part of Russia would reverse a major American foreign policy position. Story continues below this ad Experts have pointed out that while it may be acceptable — even reasonable under the circumstances — to…