MOSCOW (AP) — President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday fiercely defended Russia's move to annex Crimea, saying the rights of ethnic Russians have been abused by the new Ukrainian government.
In a televised address to the nation, he said Crimea's vote Sunday to join Russia was in line with international law, reflecting its right for self-determination.
To back the claim, he pointed to Kosovo's independence bid from Serbia — supported by the West and opposed by Russia — and said that Crimea's secession from Ukraine repeats Ukraine's own secession from the Soviet Union in 1991.
He denied Western accusations that Russia invaded Crimea prior to the referendum, saying Russian troops were sent there in line with a treaty with Ukraine that allows Russia to have up to 25,000 troops at its Black Sea Fleet base in Crimea.
Earlier, Putin approved a draft bill for the annexation of Crimea, a key move in a flurry of steps to formally take over the Black Sea peninsula. Russia's Constitutional Court and the Kremlin-controlled parliament are expected to quickly endorse the move. Some lawmakers said that Crimea could be made part of Russia by the end of the week. more
No comments:
Post a Comment