A reported plan by the U.S. to recognize Russia’s control over Crimea as part of a peace deal to end the war in Ukraine has sparked anger for handing Vladimir Putin a victory regarding the peninsula he illegally annexed in 2014.

The potential concession reported by Bloomberg citing unnamed sources follows President Donald Trump and his Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicating on Friday that the U.S. administration may abandon its peace-brokering efforts if talks fail.

But Pro-Ukrainian figures joined a chorus of disapproval over the reported proposal which the outlet said had not been finalized and has not been independently confirmed.

Newsweek has contacted the White House and Ukrainian foreign ministry for comment.

Russian troops invaded Crimea in February 2014 and after illegally seizing the peninsula, a sham referendum was cited by Moscow as showing most of the population favored reintegration with Russia.

The annexation formed the backdrop to a war in Ukraine’s Donbas region which preceded Moscow’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said Kyiv would not cede to Russia any territory, including Crimea, as part of a peace deal. Putin claims to have annexed four other Ukrainian regions which Moscow does not fully control.

Recognizing Russia’s control of Crimea would deliver a major win for Putin, who has long pushed for international legitimacy over the territory.