The United States is open to recognising Russian control of Crimea as part of a potential peace deal with Ukraine, according to a CNN report. The proposal, which includes an immediate ceasefire, was recently shared with Ukrainian and European officials in Paris. Talks are expected to continue next week in London. read more The net result is that the Russian president is in a position where he sees the opportunity to impose a Russian-designed peace settlement on Ukraine. Representational image: Reuters File The United States is willing to accept Russian control of Crimea as part of a peace deal with Ukraine, CNN reported, citing a source familiar with the plan. The proposal includes an immediate ceasefire and was shared with Ukrainian and European officials in Paris on Thursday. According to the report from CNN, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov spoke by phone about the peace proposal. A source said some parts of the plan still need to be worked out, and the US will meet with European and Ukrainian officials in London next week to continue talks. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Russia took control of Crimea in 2014 after a military invasion — a move most of the world considers illegal. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly refused to give up the territory. Meanwhile, Donald Trump suggested the US might step back from trying to broker peace if either side makes negotiations too difficult. “If one of the two parties makes it very difficult, we’ll just say, ‘You’re being foolish,’ and walk away,” Trump said, according to CNN. Still, he sounded hopeful about reaching a deal. “I think we have a really good chance. It’s all coming to a head,” he added. Trump’s comments followed Rubio’s statement in Paris, where the Secretary said the US may abandon peace efforts within days if no progress is made. “We need to quickly figure out if this can work,” Rubio said after talks with European, Ukrainian, and Russian officials. This is a developing story.