It would be a terrible mistake for President Trump to recognize Ukrainian territory that was stolen by Russian armed aggression as being Russian territory. Unfortunately, that possibility is growing.

Following Trump’s comments last week in which the commander in chief hedged on continuing American rejection of Russia’s 2014 Crimea annexation, Trump’s national security adviser, John Bolton, over the weekend refused to rule out U.S. recognition of the Crimea usurpation. Pushed by Margaret Brennab of CBS’ “Face the Nation,” Bolton became agitated and declared, “The president makes the policy. I don’t make policy.”