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Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday visited the Russian naval base in Crimea for the first time after the peninsula was annexed by Moscow. President Vladimir Putin was in Sevastopol to review the Russian ships in the port.
Russian television aired live footage of Vladimir Putin standing on the deck of a white ship going past at least ten other navy ships in the port. The vessel stopped near each of the ships to congratulate the sailors on Victory Day, the Russian memorial for the defeat of Nazi Germany.
President Putin hailed the return of Crimea into the Russian fold as a “historic truth”. Speaking in front of a cheering audience, Vladimir Putin said, “2014 will go down in history… as the year when people living here firmly decided to be together with Russia, thus confirming their loyalty to historic truth. Much work remains ahead, but we will overcome all difficulties… because we are together. And that means we are even stronger”.
Ukraine protested the Russian President’s visit to Crimea, and called it a “flagrant violation” of Ukraine’s sovereignty. In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said, “Ukraine expresses its strong protest over the unapproved May 9 visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and to Sevastopol city, which are temporarily occupied by Russia”. The Foreign Ministry also said that the visit “blatantly ignored Ukrainian legislation and international law”.
“This provocation once again confirms that Russia deliberately seeks further escalation of tensions in Russian-Ukrainian relations and does not want to resolve problematic issues… through diplomatic channels”, it added.
Later in the day, the White House warned that the visit will only heighten tensions. Spokeswoman for the National Security Council Laura Magnuson said, “We do not accept Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea. Such a visit will only serve to fuel tensions”.