Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Feb. 15 that the issue of Crimea's status will not be a part of negotiations between Russia and the United States. The statement comes after U.S. Press Secretary Sean Spicer said during a press briefing Feb. 14 that Crimea was "seized" by Russia and that U.S. President Donald Trump expects Russia to "return" the peninsula to Ukraine. Trump himself weighed in on the issue, tweeting Feb. 15 that "Crimea was TAKEN by Russia during the Obama administration." Crimea has been a key point of contention between Washington and Moscow since it was annexed by Russia in March 2014, shortly after the Euromaidan uprising in Ukraine. The administration of former U.S. President Barack Obama passed sanctions against Russia directly tied to the annexation and consistently demanded that the peninsula be returned to Ukraine.