Crimea is at the pivotal point of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. This is why it is important.

This is far from the history of the peninsula, home to Crimean Tatars, a storytelling Islamic group whose roots can be traced back to the early 15th century.

After the Russian Empire seized the peninsula in 1783, they suffered hundreds of years of persecution. After several rounds of mass deportations, they have since been replaced by Russian speakers, with more than 13% to 76% of the 2.2 million population.

"It's not just land," said Crimean Tatar, 30. "If we refuse to fight for Crimea politically, it also shows that killing people, changing geopolitics, stealing land and starting a war is OK. ”

Many Tatars hope to see Crimea return to control of Ukraine, and Joseph Stalin's massive 1944 expulsion of their people is still in life.

In 1954, then Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev moved Crimea to the then Soviet Republic. When the Soviet Union broke down in 1991, Crimea slipped off the Russian track, becoming Part of the new independent Ukraine.

For Putin, he believed that the collapse of the Soviet Union was "the biggest geopolitical disaster of the century" and that the acquisition of Crimea in 2014 was to correct historical errors.

“As far as most Russians are concerned, whether they support or despise Putin, Crimea is Russian,” said Mark Galeotti, a consulting firm for Mayak Intelligence. “I lived in Moscow when Crimea was annexed, and the enthusiasm of people gathering all night was surprising.”

For most of the rest of the world, including the United States, this is an illegal profession, and only a few countries such as North Korea and Sudan disagree. In 2018, Trump's then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington rejected "Russia's attempt to annex Crimea."

Russian flag flew in front of Ukrainian military ships at the port of Sevastoll, Crimea in 2014.Viktor Drachev/AFP via Getty Images file

That's what made Trump reverse this position.

“Crimea will stay in Russia,” he told Time on Friday.

Asked if Zelenskyy was ready to give up Crimea on Sunday, Trump told reporters: "Oh, I think yes, yes."

It would be a dramatic reversal for the Ukrainian president, who had previously said that when allowing Russia to annex parts of his country, there was "nothing to discuss". Even if he wishes, Article 2 of the Ukrainian Constitution stated that its "inviolable" border could only be changed by referendums granted by parliament rather than in its current martial law.

Some people within the Trump administration seem not optimistic because success is coming. Vice President JD Vance told Fox News on Thursday that the war "will not end soon."

Currently, Russia has controlled about 20% of Ukraine after its full invasion in 2022. But for many Ukrainians, Crimea holds a strange position.

"Crimea is a test of principle, resilience and dignity," said Crimea Tatar citizen activist. "Not only for Ukraine, but also for the entire civilized world."