Russian President Vladimir Putin called for Crimea to join the Russian Federation as soon as possible, just days after people there voted in a referendum to leave Ukraine. Putin also criticized the West, which has already imposed sanctions on Russian officials.
While speaking before lawmakers in the Kremlin Tuesday, Putin defended the referendum’s legitimacy, calling it “legal and convincing,” reports USA Today. U.S. President Barack Obama, along with members of the European Union, have refused to recognize the results of Sunday’s vote, which showed that 97 percent of Crimeans want to leave Ukraine. That was followed on Monday by the Crimean Parliament voting to become its own state and asking to join Russia.
Putin said that he considered Crimea “always” a part of Russia and that the region is “in the people's heart of hearts.”
Hours before his speech, Putin already submitted the legislation to begin the annexation process of Crimea, reports The New York Times. The moves show that Putin is clearly undaunted by whatever measures the West has taken to try to stop Russia from taking Crimea. That has included sanctions on officials linked to the referendum.
“We need to be as strong as ever in future, to rise up to challenges. We will be facing some opposition from the West,” Putin told lawmakers.
According to RT, Putin also went deep into Crimea’s history, noting that authorities there wanted to right wrongs, like the persecution of Crimean Tatars. He also criticized the West for not supporting Crimea’s wishes to become its own state, even though it had previously praised Kosovo’s independence.
Also in his speech, Putin claimed that no Russian troops were sent into Crimea before the vote. The troops that were there were part of a treaty with Ukraine for its Black Sea base.
image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
