, Columnist
Why the Golan and Crimea Aren’t So Different
Neither annexation of seized land should be recognized as legitimate.
U.S. imprimatur.
Photographer: David Silverman/Getty Images
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Both allies of President Vladimir Putin and critics of President Donald Trump are playing up a supposed connection between U.S. recognition of the Golan Heights as part of Israel and an acknowledgment of Russia’s annexation of Crimea. The parallel is tenuous.
The superficial resemblance between the Golan and Crimea situations is clear: Both were seized from neighboring countries (respectively, Syria and Ukraine) using military force. Both were annexed for strategic reasons.