Donald Trump | Drew Angerer/Getty Images Trump to look at recognizing Crimea as Russian territory, lifting sanctions The United States, along with the EU, has refused to recognize the annexation

Donald Trump said Wednesday he would consider recognizing Crimea as Russian territory and lifting the sanctions against the country if he’s elected president.

At a wide-ranging news conference, Trump said he “would be looking into that” when asked about his stance on Crimea and Russia. The Crimean Peninsula has been part of Ukraine for decades, but Russian President Vladimir Putin annexed the territory in March 2014 after a popular revolt toppled Kiev's pro-Russian government.

The United States, along with the European Union, has refused to recognize the annexation or the referendum legitimizing it, and has enforced sanctions on Russian state banks and corporations.

Crimea, historically a popular tourist destination for Russians seeking out its subtropical climate, formally became part of the Ukrainian satellite state of the Soviet Union in 1954, and joined independent Ukraine after it left the Soviet bloc in 1991.

Trump’s comments on Crimea came during the same news conference that he suggested Russia hack Hillary Clinton’s email server to “find the 30,000 emails that are missing.” The remark has been harshly criticized, and the Clinton campaign said it has now become a national security issue.