It was a historic decision of people living in
Crimea," Russian President said.
ATHENS, May 27. /TASS/. Russia will indulge in no discussion with anyone on ceding Crimea back to Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday.
"As for Crimea, we think this issue closed once and for all. It was a historic decision of people living in Crimea," he said at a news conference after his talks with the Greek leaders.
"Russia will indulge in no discussions with anyone
on that matter," Putin stressed. "So, let us stop raising this matter
over and over again."
The Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol, a city with a
special status on the Crimean Peninsula, where most residents are Russians,
refused to recognize the legitimacy of authorities brought to power amid riots
during a coup in Ukraine in February 2014.
Crimea and Sevastopol adopted declarations of
independence on March 11, 2014. They held a referendum on March 16, 2014, in
which 96.77% of Crimeans and 95.6% of Sevastopol voters chose to secede from
Ukraine and join the Russian Federation. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed
the reunification deals March 18, 2014.
For incorporation of Crimea after the coup, Russia came
under sanctions on the part of the United States and many European countries.
Source: ITAR-TASS 28-05-2016
